Hogwarts Sanitarium
by HollyH
Summary: “There are no such things as Deatheaters, Harry,” Ron solemnly said. “It’s part of your imagination. Voldemort does not exist! Magic isn’t real! There is no Hogwarts, there never was!”
1. Where am I?

Disclaimer: Why should I disclaim when this is clearly a _fanfiction_ site?

Notes: I need a beta reader to give me constructive criticism. Please!

Hogwarts Sanitarium

"Potter!" It was Uncle Vernon's roar. Harry stirred from his slumber by the noise. The clock read 5:30 A.M.

"What in Merlin's name…?" Harry gaped at the time. He tapped its screen to make sure that it was correct, having been chucked at the wall 6 years prior. The house was unnaturally quiet, usually he would hear kitchen utensils clanging together or the painful scrape of a fork against a nice plate, but all was still.

His room changed, it was white, pure white, for only a split second, before changing back.

"Calm down, Harry, it'll be over soon…" It was a low voice next to his ear. Harry turned his head in the voice's direction so fast he got whiplash. "If you are good, you may see Hermione today, would you like that?"

"Who…?" Harry turned again, seeing his room change into the eerie white room he saw for the split second before. He wasn't standing next to his bed, but by a large mat on a metal frame. The walls were white, with nothing on them. There weren't many things in his room; he turned his head slightly more, to find a tall man with white coat with many pockets, holding out a tray.

"Hermione Granger…." The man said. He had red hair, and very familiar freckles. "Your friend…?"

"Ron!" Harry gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Pardon?"

"Where are we?" Harry patted the wall, making sure he wasn't dreaming.

"We're in Hogwarts Sanitarium," Ron explained.

"We are _where_!" Harry yelped.

"Hogwarts Sanitarium," Ron repeated. "You've been here for 5 years, going on you're sixth. I'm Ronald Weasley, and you're Harry James Potter."

"Really? Who'd of guessed?" Harry sourly snapped. "What's going on, Ron! Why are we here? Is this a trap by Voldemort? Where's your family and the order-"

"Harry, there is no Voldemort. There is no School for Witchcraft and there is no magic, nor is there an Order," Ron said calmly, unfazed.

"Excuse me!" Harry yelled. "Do you not remember! I'm Harry Potter, the one who vanquished the Dark Lord as a baby and left with a scar? THIS SCAR!" He jabbed his finger towards his forehead.

"There is no scar, it's all in your head," Ron explained.

"It's ON my head, not in it, are you mad?" Harry glared. "Maybe you're a Deatheater in disguise, trying to trick me. It won't work, Voldemort!" He yelled to the air. "I've figured it out, I've-"

"There are no such things as Deatheaters, Harry," Ron solemnly said. "It's part of your imagination. Voldemort does not exist!"

"Ah ha!" Harry grinned manically. "I caught you. You're sneaky! You probably thought I'd fall for that! Who are you? Lucius Malfoy? Peter Pettigrew? Lestrange? Well you won't fool me! Ron would never say Voldemort's name!"

"Harry, listen to me!" Ron impatiently said. "Magic isn't real! There is no Hogwarts, there never was!"

"Liar!" Harry hissed. "You're here, and so is Hermione, don't lie!"

"I'm not lying!" Ron was really impatient. "I'm calling Dr. Porter!" he took a walkie talkie out of his back pocket and spoke into it. "Dr. Porter! I need Dr. Porter in Potter's room, immediately!"

A few accusations and cursing later, another red-head entered with a cup of water.

"Hey, Harry, how are you today?" She said in a sooth voice. She too was noticeable, especially her gleaming green eyes…

"Mum?" Harry stared in awe. "But – but – you're dead! You died! I – I need to sit –"

"You can go now, Dr. Weasley, I'll take it from here," she smiled at Harry. His mouth was open, staring with teary eyes.

"But – no… something's wrong!" Harry stared.

"Calm, Harry, we don't want to have to sedate you, do we?" she was kind, smoothing his hair down. "And Hermione's been throwing a fit, wanting to see you."

"I… what's going on! Please, you're…you're… Mum!" Harry babbled.

"No, Harry," she sadly said. "I'm not your mother; your mother is on vacation to Majorca."

"Lily Potter?" Harry asked. "Are we talking about the same person? I think you are confused. I'm Harry Potter, you're son!"

"No, no," her voice was pained. "I might be in your fantasy world. Your mother is… well she's…. it doesn't matter-"

"You don't think I'm crazy, do you?" Harry asked.

"I'm sorry, Harry. Just look at yourself! You think I'm your mother, but your fantasy mother died when you were very young, but you have a mother and she is alive and well!"

"I'm dreaming then!" Harry tugged at his hair.

"No, Harry!" she was calm, but had a pleading tone in her voice. "Your mother is alive, there is no magic, no Hagrid, no scar, no Voldemort or Deatheaters. They are in your imagination.

"I do have a scar!" Harry pointed to his forehead. "Right here!"

"There isn't anything there," she soothed as she took his hand and made him touch his forehead. His scarless forehead.

"No… no, give me a mirror!" he batted her hand away.

"You must calm down then," she ordered.

"Fine," he huffed. "Fine, just give me a bloody mirror!" She ignored his cursing and took out a small, compact mirror from a large manila folder with his name on it. He looked at himself, his forehead didn't have a blemish at all. He examined his face. It looked pretty much the same, his hair was slightly shorter than he was used to, and his eyes… his eyes were grey!

"No! What did you do to me!" Harry threw the mirror at a window door, but the glass didn't break, but the mirror did.

"Harry! That's the third mirror you've broken this month!"

"I wasn't here this month! I was in Hogwarts!"

"You are at Hogwarts!" Dr. Porter explained. "This is Hogwarts Sanitarium!"

"I was at school talking to my friends Hermione and Ron!"

"You mean Dr. Weasley?"

"Yes – I mean no! Ron isn't a doctor! He's 16 bloody years old!" Harry pounded the wall with his wrist, not doing much, except for causing a lot of pain.

"What good is it hitting walls and ignoring everything I say when you could be concentrating on getting better?" Dr. Porter said, exasperated. "You could move back in with your Aunt Petunia!"

"Why would I want to move back with that woman!" Harry snapped. "All she has done was attempt to make my life horrible! Why can't I live with my so-called real mother!"

"Your mother, Rita Evans-Potter isn't the best mother in the world," Lily said bitterly. "Even if she wanted you back, which isn't likely, we wouldn't allow that. She can't give you the attention you need."

"What are you talking about?" Harry snapped.

"Your mother is a wretched woman. She hasn't visited you since you were 14 years old!" she snapped, angrier at what she was saying than at him. "All she cares about is finding a story. The only reason she visited 2 years ago was because she was doing a story about the life inside a sanitarium. She cares more about her articles than she does for her family."

"Rita Skeeter?"

"That's her pseudonym, yes."

"I'd rather spend time with her, than with Aunt Petunia,' Harry shivered. "I hate her."

"Your Aunt loves you; she's been fighting to adopt you since you were 3 and left on her doorstep by your mother. She visits constantly."

"Why would Aunt Petunia want me?" Harry asked.

"Your aunt could never have children and when she took you in, it was an answer to her prayers. She's been paying for you to stay here. Your mother hasn't pitched in a cent."

"If she's paying to keep me locked up, I don't think she's that great of person."

"Your twisting my words around. You have to stay, you're ill. She is stuck with the costs."

"I want to speak to Hermione!" Harry grumbled. "She'll know what's going on."

Dr. Porter sighed. "You're in for quite a shock then."


	2. Deatheaters, a Princess and an Evil Sorc...

Note: Still need a beta reader. Contact me, please!

**becky red** – sorry it's late! **Shang Warrior Pheonix** - She's not exactly dumb, just… insane. You'll see what I mean in this chapter. **Togira-Ikonoka** – Thanks for the review, I'm sorry it took so long, I forgot about it completely! **optimistic girl94 – **he's 23 or 24, so he still looks young. **Rosiegirl – **Thanks! **The Black Quill** – OMG! I wrote this the day before seeing the episode and I was so excited about it. I'll probably start using parts of it without meaning to, . **Coral717** – Yep, I've tried to add the little details in there. I'll fix the first chapter, thanks for telling me about the folder! It wasn't intentional, sorry.

What's happened before…

"_I want to speak to Hermione!" Harry grumbled. "She'll know what's going on."_

_Dr. Porter sighed. "You're in for quite a shock then."_

**Chapter 2**

Dr. Lily Porter led Harry to past many other rooms with glass doors, some with people staring out at him with dead-looking eyes and frizzled up hair. They begged to be let out, and Harry felt fear for the first time since he was here that he really was crazy. He slowed down as he neared people with wand-looking objects. He didn't have his wand, he was vulnerable and unprotected. He should have started practicing physical defense rather than just magical in the D.A.

"Come, Harry," Dr. Porter lead him closer.

"You're mad!" Harry glared. "They could be Deatheaters! You're leading me right towards them! Let go of me!"

"Avery, Nott, put those away for a second, please," she ordered, pulling him along.

"They are! They'll kill me! Stop!" Harry pleaded as she got closer. "Stop! Stop! No!" He dragged his feet. He knew very well it was childish, but if he got close, they could take him strait to Voldemort and he couldn't do a thing to defend himself.

"We won't hurt you, come on," Avery soothed, his voice kinder than it normally was.

"Liar!" Harry snapped. "You'll kill me!"

"Harry, knock it off now!" she was impatient. "They are here to make sure you don't hurt anyone, most likely yourself."

"Open the gate," Lily ordered them and Harry darted through, making his way past them as quickly as possible. He regretted doing so as soon as he did. More people he knew as Deatheaters were guarding all the other doors. Crabbe Sr., Goyle Sr., Lestrange, Dolohov, Jugson, Macnair…

"Damn!" Harry cursed. "It was a trap! You tricked me!" he glared at Dr. Porter.

"How did I trick you?"

"There are Deatheaters guarding every door! I'm trapped!"

"You had a bad experience with the guards, yes, but you tried to run. In your mind, you interpreted them as Deatheaters, followers of this Voldemort," she explained. "They had to stun you-"

"Ah ha! Stunner spell!" Harry triumphantly said. "You think I can fall for that?"

"Stun guns, Harry," she said. "They keep you contained until we get you back to your room if you try anything stupid. You believed them to attack you, but they weren't there to hurt you."

Harry looked around at his surroundings. There were people in white tee-shirts and light blue pajama pants, and he soon realized he wore the exact same thing. Most were sitting in chairs, muttering to one another or to themselves or playing with paints or doing other activities. The atmosphere was intense.

"Where's-"

"HARRY!" he was half hugged, half tackled by a frizzy-haired girl with an overly large t-shirt. "Oh! I missed you!"

"Hermione!" Harry felt relieved when he hugged her back, familiar with her bone-crushing hugs. "Do you know what's going on?"

"You've been gone for so so so so so so long!" she jumped in his arms.

"What's gotten in to you?" Harry asked. Hermione pulled him to a bench by the wall and sat down, expecting him to sit down next to her. She had an overly happy grin on her face. He sat down and she instantly hugged him again and rested her head against his arm. "Er…"

"I can't wait until we get out of here and can buy a house and live happily ever after for ever and ever!" She squealed.

"Um… yeah…" he felt uncomfortable. "Do you know why we are here?"

"Of course!" She grinned and looked up at him. "I was captured by this evil sorcerer and you came to save me! You were caught, but when you overcome these guards, we can be free again!"

"Evil Sorcerer? You mean Voldemort?"

"No, silly! The sorcerer who betrayed my father and wants to marry me!" Hermione giggled. "You came against my father's wishes and came to save me so you could free me and we could get married!"

"Oh… er… right… are you feeling okay?" Harry asked.

"Dandy!" she played with his short hair. "Dandy, Dandy, Dandy."

"Hermione…" Harry's mouth felt dry and his eyes watered. "Hermione, no…"

"What's wrong, my sweet Harry?" she looked up with fearful eyes. "They aren't going to kill you yet, are they? We still have time?"

"Yeah…" Harry tasted salt in his mouth and he felt his throat clench tight as he tried to hold his emotions in. "We'll be okay."

"Good!" her smile was back. "But what's wrong?"

"I-" he realized he might upset her if he told her what he was really feeling. "I just can't wait to get you out of here."

"Oh, you're so sweet!" she gave him a peck on the cheek and seemed to fall asleep on his shoulder as he began to weep.

_Hermione, what happened to you? How can I get through this without you? How could this have happened to me? I know my life was not perfect before… but I'll do anything to get it back…_

"Harry?" his eyes snapped open and saw Dr. Porter sitting in front of him, a face so full of pity, he felt more helpless. "Do you want to go back to your room and talk?"

His eyes faded out, her image got even more blurry as more tears came. He numbly nodded and wiped his tears with the back of his hand. She held her hand out for him to take and he accepted and began to rise from his seat as a loud wail sounded.

"HARRY! NO!" Hermione dug her fingers into his upper arm as if holding on for dear life. "THEY'VE COME TO TAKE YOU! FIGHT THEM!" Tears formed in Hermione's eyes as she clung harder.

"Hermione, calm down… I'm not here to harm Harry or you…" Lily soothed and tried to softly pry her from him. Harry held Hermione's hand lightly, which she also clutched.

"It's okay, 'Mione," he sniffled. "She's not here to harm me. She's only here to…" his voice choked. "…help…"

"She always takes you away and I don't get to see you for so long! Please, Harry, don't give in!" she pleaded. "Harry, please…"

"I have to, I promise I'll return!" Harry got up from his seat, Hermione did as well and he felt his arm feel cold from lack of blood flow. She jerked his head into her hands and kissed him forcefully on the lips, her tears mixing with his. "Don't go!"

He stood in shock that she had kissed him, that he stopped trying to push her away.

"Hermione, let go!" Lily took her hand and tried to pull her away. "Hermione!" Lily was slapped in the face by Hermione when she succeeded in ripping one hand from him. "GUARDS!"

"NO!" Hermione screamed. She wailed so loudly he felt his eardrums pound. "HARRY!"

A guard was quick and pulled one of her arms behind her back and nearly had the other arm in his grasp. Harry felt the pressure of her fingers leave and pain took its place. They held her kicking and screaming without the use of her hands as Lily ushered Harry to follow her. He felt torn and he fell to his knees and felt more tears of angst fill his eyes and he pounded the floor with his fist.

The people around him seemed to swirl, and then everything went black.

---

Harry heard Hermione's screams fade, into his Aunt's shrieks.

"BOY! Breakfast!" she screeched.

"Aunt Petunia?" Harry felt hopeful for the first in his life that she was there. He was laying in his bed, his hair stuck to his head with sweat and his cheeks felt sticky with tears. A bad dream… that's all it was…

He welcomed his tiny bedroom, taking in the atmosphere. He welcomed the sights, and even the smell, which had a stench of Hedwig's little 'presents' collected in the corner. He bolted from his room, still in his pajamas down the stairs and sped into the kitchen. The kitchen changed.

"Eat your food, Harry," Aunt Petunia said, almost warmly. Harry felt his stomach clench. It wasn't Aunt Petunia's voice. Her eyes had changed too. They were a rich, emerald green.

"No… it wasn't real! It was a dream!" he whispered as he looked at the plate that was shoved towards him. Instead of eggs, toast and bacon, there was three disgustingly large pills and a glass of water. His eyes darted around the room. His uncle wasn't there, neither was his cousin. When he looked back at his aunt, she was no longer there, but Lily was in her place. "What are you doing here? Am I still dreaming?"

"No, Harry. You're in the Private room, where you can let all your emotions out," she sat next to the table and pushed the dish of pills closer to him. "Don't put up a fuss."

"We're in Aunt Petunia's kitchen," Harry stated, emotionless. "And I'm hallucinating."

"No, we are in the Private room. You're seeing the kitchen?" she said, as if deep in thought. "Hmm…"

"We're in a kitchen, yes," Harry said, but he felt dread seeping in.

"Harry…" Lily said, as if testing something. "lets talk about magic…"

"We're not allowed in Aunt Petunia's house," Harry stated. Lily looked as if he said something correct.

"No wonder you would never talk about how you feel in this room!" understanding flashed across her face. "You think you're not allowed… Harry, you need to tell me what you can about life at the Dursley's. Maybe you can help me understand what you're interpreting this to be, so I can help you see what's really going on around you."

"I've already told you, this is the Kitchen, what more can you interpret this to be?" Harry snapped, realizing he was once again being told he was crazy and he did not like it one bit.

"Where is this place to you?"

"The Dursley's…" Harry rolled his eyes.

"Where do the Dursley's live?" she asked, tapping her pen against her cheek.

"Uh… number four Privet Drive?" Harry stated. She grinned.

"Now we're getting somewhere!" She smiled. "Harry, look around you. This is room _number four_, in the _Private_ room. How could I have not seen it before? Private is interpreted as Privet!"

"Okay, wow, what a breakthrough!" Harry snapped, sarcastically. "That doesn't explain anything."

"I wasn't able to make the connection about why you were so reluctant to talk in these sessions, you felt you weren't allowed…" she smiled to herself and scratched her pen on one of Aunt Petunia's napkins. "Harry, I want you to concentrate now…"

"Maybe I don't want to!" Harry snapped, annoyed. "This is my life, and you're trying to take it away from me!"

"Harry, calm down," her face looked older and worn. "Don't make me get Dr. Weasley, you've really got on his bad side this morning and I don't think he wants to give you another visit any time soon."

"Leave my life alone! I have friends! Friends who don't think I'm crazy, they stick by me no matter what! They aren't doctors or mental!" Harry seethed.

"Harry…" Lily tried to sooth him.

"NO!" Harry cried. "I'm not crazy! I'm Harry Potter, the bloody boy-who-lived!"

Lily took out a walkie-talkie solemnly and it squawked. "Doctor Weasley to room 4-" she couldn't finish everything she was going to say because Harry smacked it out of her hands.

"JUST LEAVE ME BE!" he screamed at her, chucking the two-way radio against the Dursley's refrigerator, which had opened at that very second, but instead of foods and leftovers, there was Ron Weasley, armed with a little white stick.

"Calm down, Mr. Potter…" he said as if this were an everyday occurrence.

"Ron, she's trying to make me give up my friends!" he screamed at him as the room flickered into a room with only a table, and instead of a napkin, Lily clutched a clipboard with many notes written on it.

"You have friends in this world too, Harry!" Lily held her hand up to stop Ron's advancing. "A few of them, actually. Maybe your Aunt would bring them along with her later for a visit!"

"I want Ron and Hermione and Ginny and-" Harry kicked his chair towards the wall, which caused Ron to lunge at him with the white stick, that looked like a wand.

"They are real people, just different from what you know!" Lily pleaded with him. "please, Harry, let us prove it to you!"

"I don't want proof! I want my wand, my friend and my school!" he growled.

"Harry, Ron's either going to sedate you, stun you or you can start behaving," Lily cooed. Harry snarled at her, teeth bearing but folded his arms.

"Are you going to behave?" Ron echoed.

"Yes!" he spat.

"Pick up the chair," Ron ordered.

"Why don't you?" he took a step away from the turned chair.

"Don't be such a git, Potter!" he poked the stunner towards him threateningly.

"Don't you threaten me!" Harry snapped.

"Pick up the chair!" Ron yelled. Lily glared at Ron, but Harry obliged, although not very willingly. He set it upright and pushed it to the table with his foot.

"I want to see Ginny, you told me she was real," Harry mumbled after a period of silence or staring at the wall. "I want to see her."

"I'll tell Petunia to bring her along," Lily made her way to the door, stopping for a second. "Should I bring the others?" she asked Ron and he thought for a second.

"Yes," he muttered. "Make sure she brings them _all_." Ron cryptically said.


	3. Visits with Reality

**optimistic girl94** – This chapter is more intense in my opinion. **ShadowHexx771** – thanks! The next chapter should be up within a week, depending on when I start writing it. **Shang Warrior Pheonix** – I'm not sure which I like better, that chapter or this one. I like how Harry takes to seeing his real friends, maybe.

What's happened before…

"_I'll tell Petunia to bring her along," Lily made her way to the door, stopping for a second. "Should I bring the others?" she asked Ron and he thought for a second._

"_Yes," he muttered. "Make sure she brings them _all_." Ron cryptically said. _

**Chapter 3**

"I know we haven't gotten off on the best start," Ron sat next to the table, twisting a stunner in his hand. "Well, we never get off on a good start."

"What do you mean?" Harry didn't take his eyes from the wall, but his voice was half interested.

"This'll be the fourth time you've woken up from your fantasy world," Ron sighed, leaning back in his seat. "I don't know if you remember each time, your mind had probably covered it over with a new memory to sustain itself, but four times you woke up, and were put back in dream land when something bad happened to you."

"When were these?" Harry said in the same, bored tone.

"Well, let's see… the first time was in your first or second year… I think it was near the end of your second. Ginny broke up with you and she never showed up for her scheduled visits, but she never showed up and you went back to thinking you went to school. She blames herself for your relapse. What do you remember from second year?"

"Tom Riddle and his diary in the Chamber of Secrets," he mumbled. "Ginny was taken and I had to rescue her." Ron took Lily's clipboard and began writing on it.

"Why did she break up with me?" Harry asked, strained.

"You know the answer to that," Ron sighed. "She couldn't stand seeing you like you were. You were still friends after that, but she still loves you. You tried to get back with her during the 4th year you were here, but she had found somebody else."

"Why did she break up with me when I got better?" Harry looked up from the wall.

"She didn't know. You had just come out of it and still didn't believe you were crazy and you tried to explain that it was real and she couldn't take it anymore," Ron explained.

"I tried asking her to the Yule ball in 4th year, but she was going with somebody else," Harry looked back down at his fingers. Ron began to scribble away again.

"What happened the second time?" Harry stared eerily at Ron.

"Hm… I'll try to remember…" Ron obviously didn't even try to remember as he flipped in the back of his file. "You were here for three years. You were almost back to normal and when you tried to persuade us to let you go home to live with your Aunt Petunia, we couldn't let you until we knew you were stable, so you took that the wrong way and went into relapse."

"Oh…"

"What happened then?" Ron asked.

"Sirius asked me to live with him," he mumbled. "Of course I couldn't go because all the evidence was taken away from us. The third time?"

"When your friend recovered from the sanitarium and was allowed to leave," Ron said.

"When was this?"

"Hmm… just a few months ago…"

"Who was it?"

"Simon Black," Ron told him.

"Oh…"

"Any other questions?"

"Do you know any of these people? Albus Dumbledore… Remus Lupin… Neville Longbottom… Cho Chang?"

"Describe them to me."

"Well… Albus Dumbledore is very old with a beard… his eyes twinkle…"

"Albert Daugherty is a receptionist here, he likes to hand you lemon drops, he has a big sweet tooth, you know," Ron said. Harry snorted.

"Remus looks old, but he's very young. He's a werewolf… er… he is smart…"

"I have no idea who any of those are," Ron said. "Nothing seems familiar."

Ron's radio squawked and a cheerful old voice greeted them.

"Dr. Weasley, Harry's aunt is here to see him – and by golly! She's brought a circus! What kids wear these days! You would've thought-" it was Albus, his voice hadn't changed a bit, but it was the manner he spoke that caught Harry off guard.

"-thank you, Albert," Ron cut off his ranting. "Tell them we'll meet them in the visitors lounge."

"Will do, sir!" he closed and the conversation ended. Harry snorted at Albus addressing Ron as his superior.

---

Harry sat in a room decorated in light blue walls and a grey sofa that looked very stylish but it hurt his butt to sit on. Pictures of awards the sanitarium received adorned the walls, and Harry had the suspicion that they were reassurances to family of crazies being sent to this hell hole.

The door opened, and Harry felt afraid to look.

"Harry, man! Long time no see!" it was a guys voice, and his clothes appalled him. He wore pants that went down to practically his knees with his boxer showing. He had a red hat on backwards and his short brown hair stood up on end. It was…

"Seamus?" Harry wondered.

"Dude, you remembered!" he said, and Harry winced. He wasn't sure if it was because he felt guilty of being mental, or if it was how the guy talked.

"Duh, you git. It's me he always forgets, but don't sweat it, H.P.," the guy wore casual clothes, a plain oversized t-shirt and long tan shorts. "I'm-"

"Hey – I know who you are," Harry said, unsure. "Your Vicktor Krum, aren't you?"

"I prefer Vick, but its good you remembered!" he said, and Harry felt strange hearing him without his thick Bulgarian accent. "I'll quit with the introduction then."

"Hey Harry!" It was Ginny, or at least looked a little like her. Her hair was dyed fuchsia, but it was brown at the roots. She wore a large jean-jacket over a tank top and had a long, blue ruffled skirt. She had her nose pierced and many earrings in her ears.

"_Ginny_?" Harry gaped. "Since when did you – never mind… different bloody world…"

"It's good to see you!" Ginny smiled softly.

"Yeah…" he trailed off as the next person entered. It was a shorter girl with messy blonde hair. Her clothes were… strange to say the least. She had a lime green and bright pink striped tank top over a black t-shirt. She had an orange skirt over her black pants and a necklace made of bottle caps. Her eyes were large, giving her a permanently surprised look and she wore earrings that looked like turnips.

"Luna? Or – at least I think it is… it is, right?" Harry mumbled, feeling stupid.

"Yep!" she grinned.

"Your outfit is blinding," Harry worked up the nerve to say. Seamus, Vick and Ginny sniggered and Luna just grinned.

"Good to have you back, Harry!" she gave him a quick hug and hesitated for a second.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Well… uh…" her eyes darted to the door, which just knocked. It was a much younger looking Aunt Petunia peeking through the door. The Petunia he knew always had her brown hair up in a bun with a horse-looking face, but this Aunt Petunia had her hair in a ponytail, which was moderately short. She didn't have hardly as many wrinkles as he remembered and she didn't wear fancy dinner dresses, but a nice spring colored t-shirt and capris.

"Hey Harry!" She smiled at him, and then looked at Ginny. "Should we…?"

"Yeah," She too paused. "Yeah, he'll find out sometime."

"Find out _what_?" Aunt Petunia opened the door completely to show none other than the person he wanted to forget forever.

"Draco _Malfoy_?" Harry gapped. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

"I _told_ you this was a bad idea…" he grumbled irritably.

"Harry, now calm down, he's your friend!" Ginny flung herself in between him and Malfoy. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a guard reach for their stunner, staring at him. Harry's eyes darted back to the scene in his room, and he nodded numbly as he stumbled backwards a few steps.

"Okay…" he said faintly. "Okay…"

"Are you okay, Harry?" Ginny laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Do I look okay?" he was trembling. "Bloody hell!"

"Harry, you need to calm down…" his Aunt Petunia soothed.

"C'mon, man!" Seamus begged. "Chill."

"ARGH!" Harry kicked the end table over and tore at his hair. "You expect me to calm down! Like bloody hell you have any right to tell me to calm down! When you're locked up in this damned place, you can talk but until then, shut up! Just shut up!" Vick, Seamus and Luna all sunk in their seats, Ginny looked at him with wide eyes, Petunia looked as though she wanted to cry and Draco – looked at him with pity.

Harry took one look at Draco's face filled with pity and began to laugh. Loud. He had no more tears to shed, no more anger to be let out. All he could do was laugh, and the other occupants of the room seemed to recoil at this, which made him laugh harder. When he thought about them thinking his laughing was crazy because of his mirth, the laughter turned to howls. The last thing he saw was two men in white run into the room, and a painful shock before being sedated, and the world went black.


	4. Literally Out of my Wits

**ShadowHexx771**- There is a little bit of imput of Harry and Draco's relationship in this one. **Aa Miw-sher Mutnodjet Kiya**- Aww! Thanks! I don't think she will - but she's unpredictable! (In a good way!) **Shang Warrior Phoenix**- Danke! **optimistic girl94**- normally I would agree with you, but it's more like 'poor Draco' in this story. **Silver Sailor Ganymede**- Thanks! I have a few scenes planned in my mind already for future chapters. **rosiegirl**- I've never watched any of the Buffy shows. I've already decided whether or not it's planted in his mind or not. **Togira-Ikonoka**- Harry's mind created the name changes them. I have a scene planned out about changed names, but I am not sure if I'll put it in.

**Thanks Reviewers!**

What's happened before…

_Harry took one look at Draco's face filled with pity and began to laugh. Loud. He had no more tears to shed, no more anger to be let out. All he could do was laugh, and the other occupants of the room seemed to recoil at this, which made him laugh harder. When he thought about them thinking his laughing was crazy because of his mirth, the laughter turned to howls. The last thing he saw was two men in white run into the room, and a painful shock before being sedated, and the world went black. _

"…It went better than I planned, actually…"

"…I half expected him to attack Draco…"

"…remember what happened last time…"

"…poor boy, doesn't know why Harry hates him so much…"

The room faded into the irritating white room he first woke up in. He then realized his hands were locked at his sides, preventing him from moving.

"Huh?" Harry feebly moved his head in hopes to make the room more clear, then, he realized, he didn't have his glasses.

"That was a great stunt you pulled," Lily stood over him with a clipboard, her face was exasperated.

"What stunt?" Harry asked.

"Very funny, your horrible laughter," Lily grumbled. "You scared them half out of their wits!"

"I don't think that's funny," Harry said, suddenly remembering what happened the day before. The laughter, the frighten looks, the sedatives.

"Neither do I!" she threw her hands in the air.

"No, not that part. I'm talking about the whole 'scared them out of their wits' thing. What a horrible thing to say! Especially with me being the person who is, literally, out of my wits," Harry sniggered.

"I thought you didn't find that funny," she stared at him, reprovingly.

"Yeah, well, that was coming from a person who's out of their wits!" he was cracking himself up. He didn't find it funny, but he noticed more that since Sirius died – or rather, _Simon_ Black _recovered_, he was making jokes to replace his despair.

"Knock it off!" she groaned. "You scared the hell out of them! That was totally uncalled for!"

"I'm sorry, I wasn't aware there was a law here that says that I can't laugh, I'll try to refrain from such horrendous acts," he rolled his eyes.

"You know what I mean," she sighed. His shoulders dropped when he remembered Ginny's terrified face.

"How long have I been sedated?" he asked shaking his hand, feebly trying to get his hands free. She turned away to check the time.

"Around 20 minutes, amazingly short amount of time," she looked impressed.

"Are they still here?" he asked.

"Your aunt is, and Ginny. We, as in Ron and I, decided that it's best if you sit down and talk to your friend, Draco. He's here as well, but Seamus, Vick and Luna got a ride home from Luna's father," she said.

"He's the last person I'd like to see right now!" Harry snapped.

"You'll have to overcome these issues before you can fully recover!" Lily exclaimed.

"And if I don't want to recover?" Harry asked, gloomily.

"There is a woman out there who loves you so much! It pains her to be separated from you! Every time to have relapses she has to get used to the idea that you still won't be able to come home with her!" Lily's face blushed infuriately. "Now, you are going to try! You will try to live a real life instead of some silly made-up one!"

That struck a nerve.

"Hey! It may be silly to you, but that's all I know – okay? It wasn't all fun and games! I have been dealing with life and death situations for 5 years now!" Harry snapped.

"I've been dealing with that false reality for 5 years as well – so you can't talk," Lily pointed out.

"Yeah yeah – where's Auntie Tunia?" in a bitter, sing-song voice.

"Still in the meeting room…. And," she stopped him as he tried shaking his pinned-down hand. "You will be on your best behavior."

"Yeah, yeah…" After he said this, she unlocked his legs and wrists and he held them as if he were wounded. "Thanks."

"Anytime," she smirked.

---

"…he alright?... fine…. You have…. Understand… what he's feeling right now…"

Harry rolled his eyes, but solemnly knocked on the door. Before he had a chance to blink, the door had show strait open and he was staring in the eyes of Ginny.

And then her hand.

Across his face.

"You… are such… a prat!" she said, pushing him in the stomach with each pause.

"I feel as if I've done this before…" Harry put a hand to his face to protect his cheek.

"Every time you see Draco you act like this!" Ginny glared at his lack of recoil.

"And you expect me to be thrilled?" he replied, monotonous.

"You are his friend!"

"Not that I was aware of this before now! He's always hated me, and I gladly returned the favor!"

She looked at him for a moment and her eyes softened. "I know, I know. It's just…. How could you have remembered him? It was a little bit after you started…."

"Being crazy?"

"Quit being so cheerful about it," Ginny reproved.

"Nah," he grinned, and then his face dropped. "I'm sor-"

"Don't," Ginny said.

"I-"

"Shh," she tutted.

"Okay, so….uh… how do I know Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"It's Draco, and come on in, sit," Ginny opened the door and Harry had no other choice but to sit in the uncomfortable chairs.

"Where's Aunt Petunia?" Harry asked.

"Having some coffee in the lunch room with Draco, they didn't think you would revive this quickly," Ginny said. "So, the Draco question. Draco and Luna started dating way back in the beginning of your illness when you were still living at your Aunt's… showing weird signs and stuff. Anyway, Luna introduced you two and at that point you didn't seem to mind him. You'd greet him in class; sat with him in lunch and stuff and cheated off of each other's work, but then you started muttering about owls while you were in gym with him. He'd thought you just had an interest in them, but then you started carrying a stick with you around in class and the teachers had complaints when you started talking to yourself in class saying weird stuff like 'lumos' and 'alohomora.' You began growing cold towards him, even stooping to poking him in the neck with your twig. Petunia took you to the doctor and well… he sent you here."

Harry pondered this for a while when he said suddenly…

"Draco and Luna, huh?" Ginny stared for a moment, apparently startled by his lack of response.

"Yeah, didn't last though, but they are still friends."

"It's kind of hard to…. Take everything in, you know?" Harry put his head on the table and heaved a sigh. "How am I going to do it?"

"You're not alone, Harry," Ginny put a hand on his and Harry looked at her. In her eyes he could tell she was breaking down. He saw deep love, but it was held back by pain and sorrow.

"I heard…." Harry started. "Oh, never mind."

"What?"

"Forget it…"

"No, tell me!"

"I heard we were together once," he stuttered.

"Oh…. Yeah…." Ginny's eyes clouded.

"I shouldn't have brought it up…" Harry said quickly.

"No… no… It's okay…" she looked at him, longingly for a moment and looked at the wall.

"Ginny…. I…" he moved a little bit closer, until their faces were a foot apart. Ginny looked into his eyes, longingly. Suddenly, the door opened and Ginny moved away and swiped her hand from his and pretended to look at her nails. He sat back in his seat, distraught by what he had – or was about to do. He didn't feel that way about Ginny before, he'd never thought about it. All he knew was that he was going to kiss his 'fantasy' friend's sister.

"Harry!" Petunia had a strained smile on her face, Harry felt extremely bad when he saw her puffy eyes and wet-looking face. She hurried towards him and gave him a bone-crushing hug. Harry patted her on her back, awkwardly.

"I'm…. about before, I – " Harry mumbled.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Petunia cooed and took a seat neatly across from him. Harry had never been called sweetheart, not even by Mrs. Weasley, and that was saying something.

"Is Dudley real?" Harry blurted out, the question had been buzzing around his mind for some time now. He crossed his fingers in his hand.

"Dudley is our cat," she explained. Harry let out a breath that he didn't know he had been holding.

"So…. I don't have a cousin?" he asked.

"Sorry, no," she looked sad for a moment.

"That's okay," Harry grinned. "That's _very_ okay!"

"Now, Harry," Aunt Petunia shot him a scolding look. "Draco is a nice boy, he isn't-"

"-as bad as I think?" Harry finished for her. This defiantly felt familiar.

"Yes, he's a nice boy. Why can't you give him a chance?" She asked.

"I've heard this a lot of times already, and I'll try. I just don't know how to be friends with someone who insults the people I love! Or loved, actually."

"I've never said anything bad about your friends or anybody, Harry," a voice said from the door. Harry hadn't even notice him enter. Harry stiffened and itched the place where his scar was supposed to be out of frustration. "What will make you believe me?"

"Probably if I took a time turner and watched myself turn crazy," Harry said, honestly.

"A time…. What?" Ginny asked.

"Never mind, magic stuff – which, apparently, isn't real and I'll start shutting up now." There was a long silence. Harry began fingering his loose shirt, occasionally stealing a glance at Ginny, only to find her glance away when they met eyes.

"Harry," Petunia broke the silence.

"Yes?"

"I – I'm sure this is not the right way to help you… but please – don't let go again… try really hard, please?" she meekly said. Harry's chest clenched.

"I like it in that world," he admitted. Petunia visibly sunk in her seat. "-but I'll try."


	5. Inkblots, Goals and Sarcastic Remarks

What's gone on before…

"I – I'm sure this is not the right way to help you… but please – don't let go again… try really hard, please?" she meekly said. Harry's chest clenched.  
"I like it in that world," he admitted. Petunia visibly sunk in her seat. "-but I'll try."

"Pills, Potter," Ron set a variety on a platter, each looking more menacing than the rest. One of them looked the size of a knut, but then again – imaginary things weren't that good of a comparison.

"Hey, if I choke on one of these, can my Aunt sue you?" Harry asked, grumpily.

"Just take the pills, I don't feel like playing your games today," Ron huffed and set the tray on a cold, steel table.

"You say that everyday, but you never answer my questions," Harry flushed one of his pills down his throat with the plastic cup of water and coughed on it.

"Pretending to choke wont work either, take the rest," Ron demanded. "Or I'll get Lily."

"Yeah, whatever," Harry stuck them in his mouth and swallowed. "So – what are we going to do today? Insane psycho therapy? Room containment?"

"Ink blots," Ron checked his schedule.

"Oh," Harry said. Usually he was right with the therapy. "Isn't that a psychiatrist thing? For people actually _wanting_ help?"

"You aren't going to get better if you keep on insisting on making crude comments to avoid things," Ron wrote something on his clipboard. "We have to be in Doctor Lupin's room by 9:00."

"Wait – wait – wait –wait… Doctor WHO?" Harry asked.

"Doctor Remus J. Lupin. You don't remember him? You've seen him every Friday ever since Doctor Lockhart was transferred."

"Yeah, of course," Harry snapped. "You forget I haven't entirely been here for a while." He pointed to his head and glared at him.

"Change, we have 15 minutes," Ron threw a pile of clothing onto his bed and exited, waiting by the door for him.

"Aren't my Pajamas and clothes the same bloody thing?" Harry claimed loud enough for him to hear him before changing and tossing his Pajamas carelessly behind the door for Ron to clean up later.

"Harry!" Remus welcomed him kindly.

"Professor Lupin!" Harry greeted him. "I can't believe you're real!"

"Just call me Remus or Dr. Lupin, please, oh! And I'm not a werewolf either, so that's a good thing. Anyway, you're late, but that's okay. This shouldn't be a long session today. I'm glad to see you back."

"As in back, you mean–" Harry began.

"In the real world. The other sessions we had didn't have a point. Anyway, guess what we're doing today!"

"Inkblots?"

"How did you know?" Remus looked up from his pile of canvases.

"I'm psychic," Harry grinned.

"Dr. Porter's told me you got in another fight with Draco on Tuesday."

"I laughed."

"You what?"

"I laughed, simple as that. Might have been slightly maniacal, but clearly amusement isn't encouraged here," Harry shrugged.

"Okay. Now Harry, I have some inkblots here – I need you to tell me the first thing that comes to mind when you see them, okay?"

"Yeah." Remus held up a blotchy picture. Harry saw what looked like a large stick with four legs.

"Prongs."

"Aaand…. This one?"

"Owl."

"This?"

"Ford Anglia."

"Next one?"

"Grim."

"Odd, okay, this?"

"The… the veil."

"The veil?" Remus stopped and put the stack down on the table. "Harry, I want you tell me about this veil for me, please. I can see it greatly affects you."

"If it isn't real, why bother?"

"Harry, don't build a wall around yourself. Now, this veil…?"

"Sirius fell through it and he died. It was all my fault. If I hadn't believed Voldemort, he would have still been alive and–" Harry stopped. "Wait, but Sirius – Simon, sorry – is alive here. Isn't that all I need to know?"

"You must come to terms with this illness, now, what happened?"

"I believed Voldemorts vision and it got us trapped. Sirius died trying to help me. Just like my parents."

"You mean James and Lily Potter."

"Yeah, but they didn't exist in the first place either… so…"

"What do you know about your real parents?"

"My Mum's a columnist. From what I've heard, she doesn't like me."

"She's a very busy woman, but you are fortunate to have an Aunt like Petunia," Remus smiled kindly.

"Do you know my Dad?"

"I've never met him, no. I have heard his name was James Faust. Never met him, though."

"Wait – that doesn't make sense… Why is my Mum's name Potter if she's married to James?" Harry questioned.

"They never married."

"Oh… but then shouldn't Petunia be Petunia Potter then?"

"No, no. She's a widow. It happened when you were 6, I think, from what your Aunt has told me. It's Dursley, Petunia Dursley."

"Was her husband's name Vernon?"

"Yes, but I do know from previous ranting sessions that the Vernon you described was far different than the real Vernon."

"Anyway, the ink blots?"

"Oh! Yeah, sometimes I get off track. What do you see here?"

"Snitch."

"And here?"

"Fluffy."

"What's Fluffy?"

"It's a Dog's name. It had three heads."

"Okay…. Um… this?"

"House cup."

"Harry, I saw a little progress today, you opened up. However – we need you to not depend so much on your imaginary world."

"Okay…"

"Do you have any questions?"

"When can I leave?"

"Er – er have about 10 minutes left-"

"No, I mean leave. This place. Be normal?"

"Well, Harry, that's hard to say – we have to make sure you are stable, which could take months to determine. You have to realize, you have been in and out of this illness because of scenes that happened before you fully recovered. We have to make sure you can deal with news without going into relapse," Remus explained.

"Well… can I leave the hospital for a few hours?" Harry asked, impatiently.

"Not for a while, I'm afraid," Remus said.

"For only a couple of hours?"

"A lot can happen in a few hours! Besides, this place has strict orders not to release anyone. You could run!"

"I won't run!"

"We can't allow it!"

"How will I know I want to stay in this world?"

"There is no other world, Harry! Your world isn't, and never was, real!"

"I liked that world though!"

"You need to try, Harry, you promised your aunt that-"

"How did you know that I promised her?"

"We have cameras in the rooms, sorry for invading. Anyway, this is a world without Voldermort! It doesn't have all of the evilness that we have, why don't you try to see?"

"Voldemort."

"What?"

"It's Voldemort, not Volder /i mort."

"…Yes, well…"

"Can't I get something for good behavior?"

"From what Dr. Weasley's told me, you've avoided simple tasks given to you."

"I'll be good, then can I leave? For only… hm… 5 hours?"

"I can't give you that, Harry. I'm not your doctor. If you really want this, you'll have to get both of their written permission," Remus concluded. "And Ronald is quite frustrated with you already."

"But If I be a good little mental case, they might allow this?"

"You'll have to ask them," Remus finished. "I'll come with you."

"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Ron replied to his request.

"But why/i " Harry demanded.

"You are in a very fragile state right now; you aren't able to take in sudden changes!" Lily stated, pleading with her eyes.

"Oh, so waking up in this world isn't a sudden change?"

"You can't handle any _more /i _than you already have. Harry, I really don't think this is a good idea," Lily confessed.

"It's settled, then," Ron concluded.

"No, please! What if I am really good? I take my pills on time, do stuff without a fight? All that good, jolly stuff?" Harry asked.

"It's too risky!"

"What's a little risk?" Harry moaned.

"What if we work towards a picnic, and see if you've improved a bit to work towards another goal?" Remus asked.

"Dr. Lupin! You don't have any power over this matter!" Ron's ears turned red.

"No, no, Ron, I think – I think this is a good idea," Lily interrupted.

"What!" Ron hissed.

"I'll agree to that!" Harry spoke up.

"No! You need both /i of our signatures and I will not give permission!"

"But we are working towards a goal! This is a great incentive for Harry! He can slowly put himself into natural society!" Lily exclaimed.

"He will not leave this hospital until he is ready!"

"How can you decide if he is ready? He may be showing the best signs of recovery and the shock of the outside world may put him in relapse!"

"The picnic can be on the grounds-" Remus chirped in.

"Hey! That's not an incentive! I want to get out of this place for a while!"

"What if," she silenced them. "What if that be his first goal, and if he does well, he can work for his next goal to a picnic in a park?"

"I agree!" Remus said.

"You have no say!"

"I don't want that stupid goal! I can go outside in the fenced in social area and eat if I wanted to!"

"Fine, the first goal will be a picnic in the social area," Ron gave in. "And we'll decide from there if he's done a good enough job to receive a higher goal."

"I'll consent to that," Lily said.

"Then now it's settled," Ron ended.

"Fine," Harry sighed. "After 3 days, if I'm good-"

"Three days! No, Potter, no less than a week. One week and we will see from there," Ron argued.

"A week, Harry, and you can start your good behavior now," Lily stated.

"Fine," he huffed and rested his head in his hand. "Fine."


	6. A Fragile Mind

What's gone on before…

"A week, Harry, and you can start your good behavior now," Lily stated.

"Fine," he huffed and rested his head in his hand. "Fine."

----------------

"Why does he hate me so much?" Harry asked.

"Who?"

"Ron!"

"Oh. Dr. Weasley. You two used to be close in the beginning," she paused.

"…and…?"

"That was until you attacked him," Lily sighed, tucking some strands of her red hair behind her ear.

"What!"

"2 months ago, you blamed him for releasing Simon and you screamed 'crucial' before physically attacking him!"

"Crucial? No, Crucio. It's a curse," Harry explained, "But… I was attacking Bellatrix Lestrange…!"

"In your mind, of course, but you attacked him nonetheless. I don't think he has fully forgiven you. He also ordered the guards to be stricter with you," Lily clarified.

"Oh… which explains the…"

"Laughter incident? Yes," Lily said.

"How was I supposed to know that!" Harry exclaimed.

"I know," Lily cooed.

"I'm going to walk around… do I need an escort?"

"I'd feel better if you did," Lily said and Harry groaned.

"Do you honestly think that I will try something stupid?" Harry asked. "I want to get out of here!"

"I know, Harry, I know," Lily said. "But you keep insisting to do things that you just can't do, because-"

"

My mind is fragile?" Harry guessed, sarcastically.

"Precisely. So, you can either go into the social area, stay in your room, or you can take a walk-" Suddenly, her radio cackled.

"Dr. Porter?" Lily sighed.

"Yes, Albert?"

"There is a visitor in room 102 for Mr. Harry Potter," Albert said.

"-or, you can go to the meeting with Draco that I completely forgot about!" she said. "Thanks, Albert. You would think if I scheduled it, I would write it down!"

"I'll choose my room please!" Harry said, hopefully.

"I can't believe I forgot! I wonder how long the poor boy has been waiting, the dear," she tutted to herself. "Let's go."

"No!" Harry said desperately as a guard steered him in the direction of the waiting room. "My mind is fragile! My mind is fragile!"

"Hi, Harry, how are you?" Draco said, kindly.

"Oh, fine," Harry said sarcastically. "The pills are great here, so big that you almost can't get them down and – oh! I just realized I have no privacy whatsoever because they are video-taping me! Yup, all is great here!"

"I'm sorry," Draco said, obviously not knowing what else to say.

"I also have no freedom around here, that's the best thing!"

"Sorry I can't do anything," he said, quietly, seeing where this was going.

"…so…?"

"What?"

"Why don't you laugh?" Harry asked.

"Laugh?"

"At me?"

"Sorry?"

"Laugh, sneer, insult?"

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Because you are Draco Malfoy! That's what you do, so let's hear it!"

"Why is it that your Aunt is different and you don't care? Why am I the only one which you can't see being a good person? Why can't I change too?"

"Because you are Malfoy," he said, simply.

"I see what's going on here," Draco sighed.

"Care to enlighten me?"

"You are trying to grasp on to at least one thing from your other world, even if it is the other Draco Malfoy!"

"You've spent too much time around Ron," Harry sighed.

"YES!" Draco yelled and Harry slide back in his seat, a little shocked by his outburst. "Yes! Exactly! I have spent a lot of time with Dr. Weasley! You know why? Because I care! I am your friend, and that is what friends do! They stick by your side no matter what! And that is all I have done! Can't you at least try to see that I am a good person?"

"You're still egotistical," Harry said in a huff. "I'm leaving." And he slammed the door behind him.

"Wow," Lily said. "Wow."

"What?" his voice was muffled because his face was planted against his bed.

"How could you be so horrible to the boy?"

"Just repaying the favor!"

"That boy has been nothing but kind! Draco has visited you at least twice a week, along with Ginny! His mother baked homemade candies for you – little thumb-sized frogs made of chocolate, where she came up with that is beyond me," Lily ranted. "And then brought jelly beans another time."

'Yeah, probably all vomit flavored ones' Harry thought to himself.

"Why'd you invite him over here, anyway?" he interrupted her ranting.

"Isn't it obvious? You need to see the real Draco, not your imaginary one! You need to detach yourself completely from that silly world of yours!"

"It's not silly!" Harry said defensively, his head shooting out from the mattress.

"You're right, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have offended your world," Lily put a hand to her head. "But I need to see that you are able to spend time with Draco."

"Why? Does everyone need to get along in this world?" he asked, sarcastically.

"No, but you need to see the difference. Between your world and the real world, there are two Draco's. You are only seeing one of them, therefore not really detaching yourself from your world."

"Why can't you just let me be?" he huffed, clearly annoyed.

"That's not my job," she hummed. "You know what?"

"What?"

"You are clearly not listening to a word I am saying!"

"I am listening!" he argued.

"Well you certainly aren't taking anything to heart! I'm going to set up another meeting – no, a picnic – with Draco!"

"That's not an incentive!" Harry screeched, lashing his head back to face her.

"This wont count for your goals, Mr. Potter," she said, giving him the impression that she was dead serious. "But if you mess this one up, you will have no trips until your release!"

"What if he doesn't consent to going?"

"Oh, I know he will consent!" she smugly said. "He's came back after every single rant you've had with him before, why should this time be any different?"

"Because…" he began to think.

"Tomorrow then, I'll have to ask him – and his parents, of course," she added thoughtfully. Harry stuffed his head deep into the sheets.

"Can we not and say we did?"

"Harry! Why do you insist like acting like this? Draco is a sweet boy… why don't…. understand…" Lily said, her back to him. "Harry, tell me the incantation for the summoning charm."

"M-me?" Harry asked, confused. When she turned around, it hardly looked like Dr. Porter at all. She had a large nose and wide brown eyes. Her lips were thin and pursed and she looked quite old.

"Yes, do you know or not?" she said, impatiently.

"Sorry, what was the question?"

"10 points for not paying attention!" she snapped. "Miss Granger? Can you help Mr. Potter out?"

"It's Accio," Hermione said confidently, and gave Harry a distressed looked from next to him. "It helps a witch or wizard-"

"I only asked for the incantation," she continued and went on teaching.

"You knew that one!" Hermione hissed to him.

"I zoned out… I think I just had the weirdest dream…" Harry whispered back.

"Pay attention!"

"20 points from Gryffindor!" the Professor yelled in their direction. "I would have suspected more out of you, Miss Granger!"

"Sorry, Prof-"

"Now, is anyone willing to demonstrate?" she continued, without missing a beat. Hermione quickly shot her hand in the air. "Mr. Potter, care to redeem yourself?"

"Um… sure," Harry said.

"Well? Get up here!" she growled. Hermione pushed him up and he sent her a glare before hurrying to the front. "That goblet."

"Sorry?"

"That goblet! Over there!" Harry looked to where she was pointing. Harry observed her desk, perfectly neat and in order. He gazed, but there was certainly no goblet to be seen. He did notice a few things out of place though. A wall light was turned on, and there was a chair that looked remarkably similar to the chairs in the visiting room in his dream.

"Wait a second… electricity doesn't work inside Hogwarts!" Harry exclaimed.

"What are you talking about? The goblet, please!"

"Something's not right!"

"Detention for failing to obey, Mr. Potter!" she snapped. "Wake up!"

"Huh?"

"Wake up!"

"I am awake!"

"Mr. Potter, please calm down!" a soothing voice said in his left ear and he turned to see Dr. Porter standing in the teacher's place.

"What's going on?" Harry found himself back in his bed, his hands and feet restrained by 3 guards. "Get off me!"

"Deep breaths, Harry!" she called out.

"Where'd Hermione go?"

"Calm down, deep breaths…" Suddenly he noticed Ron holding a rather long, point needle.

"Wait! No, don't stick that in me, I'm fine!" Harry tried getting his hands free. "Get off!"

"Shh! It'll all be over soon!"

"It is over! No!" Harry felt a cold sharp prick in his upper arm and felt his eyelids flutter.

"It's okay, It's okay!" Lily's voice said and he felt his head feel light and the pressure from his hands and legs become released as the guards stepped away. He let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding and everything went black.


	7. Escape of a Madman

_What's gone on before…  
"Calm down, deep breaths…" Suddenly he noticed Ron holding a rather long, point needle._

"Wait! No, don't stick that in me, I'm fine!" Harry tried getting his hands free. "Get off!"

"Shh! It'll all be over soon!"

"It is over! No!" Harry felt a cold sharp prick in his upper arm and felt his eyelids flutter.

"It's okay, It's okay!" Lily's voice said and he felt his head feel light and the pressure from his hands and legs become released as the guards stepped away. He let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding and everything went black.

"Uhh…" Harry groaned. He felt as if he were balancing over a ton of lead on his forehead. "What…?" He noticed he was in his room and it was late at night because there was no sun shining though the tiny window. He was pleased to discover that he wasn't restrained. He sat up, although with much difficulty and put his foot on the icy cold floor.

"Hello?" Harry rasped out. He had never woken up without Dr. Porter or Dr. Weasley there and it just felt a little different. It was the first time he really took in his 'room.' It was white – well, grey because of lack of light, and the bed looked like a hospital bed. It had white sheets and cold metal railings and little plastic protectors around some of the screws to hold it together, which Harry figured was to prevent him from hurting himself. There was also an end table, which was also metal, and a wall light protected by a hard, plastic barrier, right next to a clock.

Then he noticed a little blinking red light in the far corner of the room and his mood changed to slight annoyance… until…

"POTTY WEE POTTER!" Harry let out a loud yelp and backed himself into the corner before observing the figure who had just climbed out from under his bed.

"Peeves!" Harry screeched. "Why the bloody hell are you here?"

"Oooh! The little squirt is feeling _cranky_!"

"Stuff it!" Harry snapped.

"Oh, most think he's barking, the potty wee lad!" Peeves sung. Harry suddenly remembered Peeves singing the song to him last year.

"Knock it off, Peeves!"

"But some are more kindly and think he's just sad!"

"Get out!"

"But Peevesy knows better and says that he's mad!" Harry realized that Peeves wasn't joking when he sung that, and it kind of hurt.

"Why are you here?" Harry demanded. "Are you even real?"

"Been saying it and saying it – you're a barmy young bloke!" Peeves sang and Harry suddenly regretted saying anything.

"Why aren't you in your own room?" Harry asked. "Shouldn't you be in a strait jacket or something?" Peeves just gave him a toothy grin.

"You're not supposed to be in here," Harry said, monotonously. "I can call the Doctors!"

"Wittle snitch, aren't ye? No – the docties are dolts, they always look in the same places!"

"There are video cameras all around; don't you think you'll get caught?"

"The video security peeper always leaves his post at exactly 12:00 and enters the lunchroom for a coffee and a bathroom break. But Peevesy is smart! He takes Ickle Filch's creamer and hides it during social time. Then-"

"Wait – Filch?"

"Yup! Anyway, before you were rude I was saying – I take his creamer and hide it in the kitchens. He's got to cross the entire building to get more creamer and that gives me about – say… 15 minutes? Oh, but of course! Peevsey knows Filch – he always takes a bathroom break before heading back. I hide the soap as well and he's got to go _AAALLLLLL_ the way back to the supply closet and that gives me more time!"

"To come bother me?" Harry asked, boredly.

"Precisely!" Peeves giggled. "You silly little squirt!"

"How long have you been under there?"

"Oh…. 'bout 20 minutes," Peeves guessed.

"Then you should be getting back…" Harry said.

"Nope! Filch doesn't want to get in trouble for leaving us unsupervised. He'll come all angry and threatening. Then he'll say that next time he'll tell Dr. Weasley, but he hasn't for the past 8 years!" he cackled.

"Well…. _I_ could tell Dr. Weasley!" Harry muttered.

"_Snitch! Snitch! Snitch_!" Peeves didn't seem bothered about his blackmail.

"And…" Harry brainstormed. "I'll tell Filch where his creamer and soap's been going!"

"Potty is a blabbermouth! Nark!" Peeves insisted on yelling.

"Just leave!"

"Can't!" Peeves snickered.

"Why not?"

"The docties like to lock our doors at night! We're locked in!"

"WHAT!" Harry asked.

"You're stuck with me, my little narky friend!"

"I'm not your friend!" Harry snapped. "But… how'd you get out, then?"

"Old loopy Lockheart owed me a favor before he left," Peeves shrugged. "Gave me his keys!"

"Was he bloody insane!"

"Actually, he was," Peeves said. "Sent to a loony bin!"

"You mean Lockheart's here?"

"Nah, he goes to a penitentiary for insane people. I think Dr. Lupin said he tried robbing a hair product store..."

"Well… can't you use the keys now?"

"Left them in my room!"

"Why the bloody hell did you do that!"

"Cant get caught with keys!"

"How did you get in my room then? Without keys, I mean…"

"They don't lock them from the outside that often. So the docties can get in the loonies rooms quickly to sedate and stun and fun stuff like that!"

"Oh yeah, great fun!" Harry said and watched as Peeves climbed on his bed. "What are you doing!"

"They took my bouncy mattress away from me," Peeves grinned stupidly and began to jump on it, kicking his slippers of and chucking them towards Harry.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Harry roared.

"Wont!"

"DR. WEASLEY! DR. PORTER!" he bellowed hopelessly.

"You're kidding me, right?" Peeves stopped jumping. "You actually think that they stay here overnight? Come one! They've got lives!" Harry felt stupid. Why would they? This isn't Hogwarts!

"Well…" Harry said with a strangled voice. "You just… stay on that side of the room, and I'll stay on this side."

"No!" Peeves said, and to demonstrate his point, he let out a loud yelp and ran towards his side of the room….

…and ran straight into the wall. Harry stared at the limp figure lying on the floor.

"What was the point of that?" Harry said after a long five minutes. Peeves began to crack up. "You…" Harry continued. "Are _absolutely_… insane!" Harry bounded over to his door with the tiny window and began to pound on it.

"HELLO!" Harry roared. "GET HIM OUT OF HERE! HELLO!"

"Mr. Filch?" Lily shook the shoulder of her coworker. "Argus?"

"Huhwas?" Filch shot his head up from his desk and he rubbed his eyes. "Dr. Porter, hello." He began to arrange his desk quickly to make up for his drifting off. "you're early."

"As always," Lily jiggled her keys in the lock to her office. "How was it, tonight?"

"Oh… uh…" he flickered his eyes to one of the rooms. An empty room. He cursed under his breath, but Lily heard.

"What is it?" she turned to him sharply.

"I – er… nothing, probably, he's probably under his bed-"

"WHO?" Lily let the keys hang from the door and looked at the monitors over his shoulder.

"Bernie Peeves," Filch said in a not-so-happy tone. Lily cursed.

"Where'd he go?"

"You check the rooms; I'll look on here," Filch eyed each television screen closely as Lily took off down the hall.

"Bernie!" Lily yelled out. "Bernie Peeves!" Her radio cackled.

"Lily, rooms 16 and 17 are cleared," Filch called. Lily put the radio to her mouth.

"How would you know? She said, accusingly.

"I rewound the tapes, no commotion, apart from Grave's mild seizures," Filch said.

"What about Apleen?"

"Ron had her sedated before he left."

"Why?" Lily asked as she opened the door to room 18.

"She tried to bite him," Filch said simply. "Oh – room 19 – oh, wait no."

"What?"

"Bernie was there, but he left right after taking Gerald's sheet," Argus said.

"18's clear," Lily said after she closed the door.

"Of course it is, I've checked," Filch muttered. "Wait – there is movement in room 26!"

"Potter's room!" Lily grunted and jogged a few doors down the hall. "He's not stable yet!" She quickly opened the door.

"Surprise!" Peeves scooted out from under the bed.

"Bernie! What are you doing in here!" Lily snapped while grabbing his wrist.

"Nothin', doctie!" Peeves said, confidently.

"Back to your room, no detours! Filch'll know if you do!" Lily warned as Bernie skipped out of the room, a white sheet draped around his waist like a skirt.

"Harry?" Lily whispered. Harry was sitting up in a ball in a corner, knees against his chest and his hand covering his ears. "_Harry_?"

"Mmm?" Harry feebly said, his voice so raspy it was almost incoherently.

"You okay?"

"The guy is nuts!" Harry blabbered. "He… doesn't…. shut…. up! What time us it?"

"Uhh… 6:30…"

"Over… 6… hours!" Harry mumbled. "I need sleep." He looked up. "Can I skip the picnic?"

"I'll call them and tell them to come later," Lily helped him up by his elbows.

"Please… can we reschedule?" Harry muttered, feebly.

"No, no, no…" Lily murmured as Harry climbed into his bed. "Lucien Malfoy had to take off work to support his son."

"I'm not going!" Harry suddenly looked awake.

"What?"

"Please don't make me go; I don't want to see him! Look what happened yesterday because of him!" Harry pleaded.

"You got sleep last night, didn't you!" Lily glared at him disapprovingly.

"I went to Hogwarts and slept," Harry shrugged.

"You're depending too much on your world!"

"Not this again! If I had stayed here, he would have driven me nuts!"

"You could have ignored him!" Lily tutted.

"Easy for you to say," Harry mumbled as Lily left the room.


	8. A Patient's Woes

b animagus girl /b Hehe, thanks! I'm trying to make Harry not be friends with Draco, but I think they will end up tolerating each other in the next chapter. I'm still thinking of a place to put Pansy. Hmm…

b animagus girl /b I have to admit, Peeves is one of my top 20 favorite characters in the Harry Potter books. Right after Archie, of course. Thanks!

b ** heavensent** /b Thanks! I kind of thought this story needed a little comic relief.

b **lovelyluna** /b I know that Harry will wake up a few more times in Hogwarts, but I'm not saying if it's real or Voldemort's evil plan.

b **November Falls** /b Peeves shouldn't have them, that's for sure. Someone else might need them, though.

b **Bama** /b I'm glad you enjoyed it!

b **The Lioness** /b Umbridge – you might get an explanation (Or a scene, if it plays out) of Umbridge in one of the upcoming chapters. Snape – wait and see! :) Sprout – she's just made up in Potty Wee Potter's mind. Not in the story, really. Same goes for Flitwick and Trelawney. You might get to see Hagrid (big maybe, no pun intended) and probably Poppy Pomphrey.

b animagus girl /b Taking it away now wouldn't be good for someone else.

b ** screechmyweasel** /b Thanks! You're very sweet!

b ** Remus** /b I can't disclose that part just yet:P

b ** nomikkin** /b Thanks, you're very kind!

b ** Adara** /b Your reviews made me laugh! Thanks!

b **scooterbug8515** /b Thanks!

b ** Bright Eyes** /b Thanks!

b ** shimmereys** /b I like Peeves in an annoying sort of way.

b ** Ginny Phoenix** /b I'll have to watch it, I love Charmed, but I've only saw a few episodes.

b ** Adhar** /b Hehe, it was fun annoying Harry :).

b ** WindRider** /b Danke!

b ** sumone** /b I wanted this chapter up by your birthday, but it's a day late. Happy B-day!

b ** AWhisperUnoticed** /b Hehe, thanks!

b ** moonfang** /b :P

b ** Cyde** /b Good theory. b Very /b good theory. hint

b ** LostMaeblleshire** /b Hehe, Animagus girl – one of my most loyal reviewers. Thanks for the review!

b **LostMaeblleshire** /b Then you feel how Harry feels:)

b **LostMaeblleshire** /b Hehehehh! You've have to wait and find out!

b **LostMaeblleshire** /b Yup! Tis Peevesy:D

b **Filthygorgeous** /b Thanks for all of the nice reviews!

b **Krazycase** /b Hehe!

b **volition112** /b Thanks!

b **cassie921belle** /b Thanks a lot! You are so nice!

b **Bellamybabe** /b I know, I might start posting there, but for the reviews with questions I'll start putting here only.

b **Dark Angel** /b Thanks!

b **xthissucksx** /b Sorry, I don't think I'll have Cho in the Hogwarts Sanitarium… maybe in school (if he recovers, that is)

b **bloodyrose978** /b Thanks!

b **Bama/ Friend** /b Thanks for your review!

b **carrie** /b I know, I feel so bad doing that to Harry.

b **crimsonteardrops** /b Thanks!

b **blackrose978** /b Thanks so much!

b **BloodyTears** /b I thought the hair product thing would be a perfect touch, roflmao. Hehe!

b **HeidiHi** /b And thanks for the review!

b u Wow! 57 new reviews! And it's only been like 2 days! Thank you so much reviewers, you've given me a lot of inspiration! 196 reviews total for 7 chapters… that's an average of 28 reviews a chapter! Thanks again! /b /u 

i This chapter is dedicated to sumone. Happy Birthday! (Sorry if the chapter isn't the best, I wanted to get this up A.S.A.P.) /i 

i What's gone on before…

"I went to Hogwarts and slept," Harry shrugged.

"You're depending too much on your world!"

"Not this again! If I had stayed here, he would have driven me nuts!"

"You could have ignored him!" Lily tutted.

"Easy for you to say," Harry mumbled as Lily left the room. /i 

"You're not going to say anything to Ron, are you?" Harry asked as Lily escorted him to breakfast.

"About?"

"My…. Trickery?"

"Which, sorry?"

"Nevermind," Harry said quickly.

"Oh, you mean the whole 'I'm too tired to go on the picnic' thing? Or the while ignoring me while I was explaining-"

"I was listening!" Harry argued.

"No," Lily sighed. "I won't say anything, but you had better behave today or I will!" Harry stayed quiet for a moment as they neared the lunchroom door.

"Couldn't I just have my lunch in my room?"

"No," Lily said.

"Why not? You let me the whole week!"

"You'd just woken up, we hadn't planned on moving you around as much as we did, but you were able to handle it."

"I slipped into fun-world yesterday, though!"

"That happened because of your own attitude," Lily held a warning tone in her voice, causing Harry to drop the subject. Lily was about to open the door when Harry stopped her.

"Um… who do I sit with?" Harry peered inside the lunchroom.

"Whoever you'd like-" She moved to open the door again.

"Normally?"

"Well Hermione, usually. Sometimes Neville on his good days," Lily opened the door before Harry could say anything else and he observed the room. Metal tables were everywhere, and bunches of people sat together, hardly touching their food. Harry was about to move towards the food trays when someone jumped on his back, causing him to nearly collapse.

"HARRY! YOU'VE COME BACK TO ME!" Hermione squealed. "I KNEW YOU WOULD!"

"I – er – thanks, Hermione," Harry mumbled, trying to escape her grasp. "Why – why don't you find a spot for us to sit?"

"No! You can't leave me!" Hermione pleaded as she grabbed the tray from Harry and went through it for him.

"Hermione, you've passed the bacon," Harry tried, unsuccessfully to pull the tray back in front of him, but she slapped his hand away.

"It's poisoned!" she hissed and checked to see if the guards were looking.

"You're kidding," Harry said, a little harsher than he intended, but Hermione didn't seem to hear. She then piled some scrambled eggs on the serving spoon and waited for the guard to turn away before dumping in back in the tub.

"It's not poisoned!" Harry insisted as she passed the pudding, toast and pancakes. She took a look at the butter packets and grabbed a handful and dropped it on his tray before snatching a water bottle. She then seemed satisfied and began to walk back to her seat.

"Butter packets!" Harry said indignantly. " i Butter packets /i ? That's my i breakfast /i !"

"Would you rather die?" Hermione set his tray across from a tray that held the same things, only in larger quantities.

"I think I'll risk it," Harry said irritably before turning around and heading back to the line, but Hermione grabbed the back of his overly large t-shirt before he could get there.

"Don't you love me!" Hermione wailed loudly that it caught a few of the guards' attentions, but the patients seemed unaware.

"Shh, Hermione-"

"Do you love me or not!" she screeched.

"Hermione, listen-"

"It's a simple yes or no question!" She wept. Seeing as talking sense into her was futile, he gave in.

"Yes, Hermione," Harry winced under her glare. i Harry liked Hermione, but not in this way /i at all.

"Yes what, Harry?" She gave him a deep gaze.

"Yes, Hermione… I…. I love you, okay? Now can I-" Harry sat down in his spot, heavily and grimly.

"Say it like you mean it!" she began to cry.

"I love you," Harry said, quietly but clearly.

"I KNEW IT!" Hermione gave him a wide grin and gave him a kiss – which Harry tried to avoid – on the cheek before sitting back in her spot, opening packets eagerly. "Now what's your plan?"

"For?"

"Getting us out of here, of course, silly!" Hermione giggled before licking the butter packet clean, which disgusted Harry immensely.

"Er… I'm going to…" Harry seemed to go into a deep thought, Hermione stared at him intently for a moment before going back to her 'meal.' Harry stared for a moment, hoping she wouldn't bring the subject back up, but she suddenly opened her mouth to say something when someone took a spot next to Harry.

"Where's Neville?" the boy said, but Harry could clearly see that this was, indeed, Neville Longbottom. Before Harry could say something, however, the boy continued. "Right here, what happened to Alice?"

"Alice?" Harry asked.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Neville said in a harsh voice.

"Sorry," Harry put his hands up.

"No, no, I'm sorry," Neville continued. "Frank shouldn't have said that."

"Frank?"

"He's right there!" Neville ushered to a napkin dispenser which was centered on the table. Harry gave him a cocky grin.

"Hiya, Frank!" he waved to the metal object.

"Neville, what are you doing here? Why aren't you in the other dungeon? I thought they split us up!"

"Don't forget about me! I'm over here!" Neville continued, and Hermione seemed satisfied with his answer and went back to her breakfast.

"Who?"

"Alice!" Neville glared. "Am I that invisible to you!"

"Yes," Harry snickered.

"You are i sooo /i mean!"

"Sorry?"

"I'm a person too! Fine, keep ignoring me! I'll go back to my breakfast then!" Neville snapped and then chucked his spoon over the table.

"Good luck with that," Harry watched the plastic object sail over his head and land in somebody else's scrambled eggs.

"Oh my!" Hermione pushed her tray into Harry's causing his to spill on his lap.

"What now?"

"They're poisoned!" she put a hand to her mouth. "I feel like I am going to vomit!"

"It's just disgusting! That's why!" Harry said. "Now can we please eat normal food!"

"I'm going to die, and that's all you care about? Food!" Hermione snapped, holding her stomach.

"Nurse!" Neville yelled out. "She's going to die! Help her! Shut up, Alice! Make me, Frank!"

A guard stepped forward and took Hermione by the shoulders and pushed her towards a door.

"No! Get you're hands off of me!" Hermione kicked. "I want to die with my love!"

"You're not going to die!" the guard said and he half carried her from the room, with help of 4 other guards of course. Harry took his chance to get back in line, but just ask he got a new tray, another guard announced that breakfast was over.

"You've been very good today, Harry," Lily said as she walked him back to his room. "You haven't complained once about the picnic."

"I didn't get to-" Harry felt his stomach rumble, but he took this opportunity to play 'good patient'. "Yeah, well, there isn't really a point in fighting if it's not going to help anything."

"Mmm…" she nodded to herself, looking at him suspiciously. "You'd better keep that attitude for later, because I'll be joining you and the Malfoy's."

"I kind of suspected that," Harry mumbled, hungrily. "What time is this picnic?"

"1:00," Lily said.

"Four more hours, then," Harry sighed and sat in the social area, anxiously awaiting one o'clock.

"Which is he, Draco?" a tall, blonde man glared at the crowd of people. Harry snorted; he was just to the right of them, out in the social area.

"Um…" he scanned the grounds to the left.

"We came here for a nice picnic with your little friend, It's only proper that he be here when we came!" Lucien Malfoy said. "A mental patient? You should have chosen your friends better!"

"Sorry for interrupting," Harry said, loud enough for them to hear, causing Draco to jump and Lucien to look slightly disgruntled. Draco looked very solemn.

"Hi, Harry," he looked up at his father, awaiting him to say anything else.

"Shall we go, then? I want to get out of here, it's creepy out here," Lucien growled and lead them back inside, where a slightly plump woman with brown hair greeted him with a humungous hug. She balanced three picnic baskets in her hands at the same time, squishing him.

"Mum, you shouldn't have brought all that food!" Draco said. "We'll never finish it all."

"Nonsense, he needs fattening up. You too, honey, you're far too skinny!" She rustled Draco's hair fondly.

"Stop coddling the boy," Lucien told her, sourly.

"I'm not coddling him," she said back, unfazed by his behavior.

"Can I take that for you, Mrs. Malfoy?" Harry asked, kindly, ushering for a generously stuffed basket.

"Oh, Harry, you're such a dear," she cooed, sweetly. "Draco, why can't you be more like Harry?"

"I don't want a mental case for a son!" Lucien snapped at her, and she looked at him fiercely.

"Lucien Malfoy! You had better change that attitude of yours!" she slapped him upside the head before turning back towards Harry. "Sorry about my husband."

"It's okay," Harry sighed, smelling the deep aroma of turkey and potatoes and chocolate. He took the basket from her and looked at Draco, who looked deeply depressed at having his father along.

"Shall we go then?" Lucien asked.

"Wait, Dr. Porter has to supervise," Harry said, quickly.

"You have two adults supervising, isn't that enough!" Lucien looked deeply angered.

"Here she comes," Draco signaled, seeing Lily walk down the corridor with a basket of her own.

"Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy – you didn't need to bring food along," Lily looked apologetic.

"Nonsense!" Mrs. Malfoy smiled. "These boys need fattening up and you too, Dr. Porter!" Lily looked a little ashamed. "You're far too scrawny!"

"Shall we go?" Mr. Malfoy said in a monotonous voice.

"Yeah," Lily stared at him, darkly. "Let's."


	9. Fury of the Father

b u Yay! 47 new reviews! Thank you! 243 reviews in total! You guys are super! Oh, and sorry this chapter got up as late as it did. I had a tiny case of writers block (nothing serious) and I was reading other fanfictions for a little bit when I planned on writing… hehe! Anyway, I have gotten more than one review where they suggest I not write out all of my review responses. From now on, I will only write out responses to questions and anything else I find important. Thanks again! /b /u 

u Questions: /u 

b How did I come up with the idea? b - I am not entirely sure where... I do like angsty fics, and I figured the thing that would cause me the most angst in real life would be if everyone thought I was crazy, so that's where, I think.

b Is Mrs. Malfoy supposed to be Mrs. Weasley in Harry's world? /b - Aye, you'll notice it a lot more in this chapter. She seems the only one to be able to control Lucien. Hehe!

b Is there a reason Harry made Draco evil in his mind? /b - I'm not sure if I'm going to explain that in the near future in a chapter, so I'll write it here. It won't really spoil anything. Harry and Draco were becoming friend's way back then. (Draco had just moved to/closed to Surrey). So he didn't know Draco all that well yet. Harry's mind created the evil Draco in his mind to put all his built up anger because a certain parental unit abandoning him. You guessed it – Rita. Around the time he was falling into his delusions, he realized (when his Mum came for a visit) that she held no real love for him and he was mad, you can say. So, he kind of turned up evil. The reason Harry is so against Draco in real life and wont let go, if because he has learned (all over again) that Rita doesn't love him, so he's putting that anger back in Draco. Make sense?

b Neville thinks he's both Alice and Frank, right? /b - Yup, kinda ironic that his parents are in a mental hospital too – only in his mind – which ended up in Hogwarts Sanitarium. (Oh, the people in his mind, Alice and Frank, aren't his parents. Harry just interprets them to be.) And yes, he does have split personalities, if you hadn't already guessed.

b Yuck, butter packets? /b - Okay, so this isn't really a questions, necessarily, but w/e. Yes, butter packets. Just for amusement, and a reason to keep Harry more (you'll see in this chap) polite.

u Author Question for this chapter: /u 

b How far do I plan on taking this chapter? b - I actually plan on finishing it. Lol, okay, that wasn't answering the question. I plan on it being far more than 20 more chapters, we'll see how far I get it. Also, you might not get the 'The End' chapters until after a longer delay, as I plan two different scenarios / alternate endings. Although, neither are really what any of you are thinking.

i What's gone on before…

"Shall we go?" Mr. Malfoy said in a monotonous voice.

"Yeah," Lily stared at him, darkly. "Let's." i 

"I did not take time from my busy schedule to walk around aimlessly!" Lucien snapped towards Lily, who heaved her basket on her shoulder as they walked through some woods

"Oh, Lucien," Mrs. Malfoy looked at him disapprovingly. "You didn't have anything planned tonight. You were complaining yesterday about it right before we got Dr. Porter's call."

"I might have had a sudden engagement!" Lucien glowered.

"But you didn't," Mrs. Malfoy said, unfazed. Harry's forehead was beginning to sweat as they walked up a steadily steep hill under the sun's searing glare.

"Well it's not exactly healthful for the boy either," Lucien continued as if Harry wasn't even there. "He could escape and murder someone for all we know!"

"Lucien Cornelius Malfoy!" Mrs. Weasley set her basket down and put her hands on her hips. "What a horrible thing to say! Apologize immediately!"

"Sorry, boy," Lucien sneered towards him.

"His name's Harry," Draco piped up, this being the first time he's spoken in his father presence. Harry glanced at him, but Draco was looking at his feet almost determinedly.

"Nasty common name, if you ask me," Lucien kept walking forward, so his wife picked up her basket once again and walked after him.

"I didn't ask you, though, did I?" Harry was irritated, and Mrs. Malfoy's eyes shone with deep respect. Draco, however, winced and looked up at his father, expectantly.

"What did you just say to me? I'm going to have to have a talk with you're mother! She didn't do a very good job raising you-"

"Good luck finding my Mum, then," Harry said. "I bet she's all the way across the globe or something."

"I would do the same if I were in her position, I suppose," he said, thoughtfully.

"Lucien!" Mrs. Malfoy snapped.

"Here we are!" Lily said, almost distastefully, whilst faking a cheery expression. She took out one of the hospital sheets and laid it down neatly on the floor. Mr. Malfoy sat on a rock that was nearby and stared at Lily's basket with distaste.

"So, Harry, dear," Mrs. Malfoy laid out plenty of snacks and foods. There was an assortment of subs, some turkey slices that were still steaming (It was in a heated storage bag), a plastic bowl of mashed potatoes, another bowl of candied carrots, a carton of white milk, and an entire bag of homemade chocolate candies. "How have you been doing? I haven't been able to visit you for almost 6 months!"

"You came and visited me, Mrs. Malfoy?" Harry asked, awed.

"Call me Molly, dear. And I love visiting. You're such a polite boy and a good influence on my dear Draco-" She darted her eyes towards her husband as if challenging him to say something. I've driven him here when I have the chance, but I've had to work on this new wedding lately and it's been hectic."

"Wedding?"

"I'm a wedding cake designer and I make deserts for their meals," she said sweetly.

"Oh," Harry said, eyeing the foods longingly.

"Draco's going to be a doctor," Lucien bragged. Draco seemed to sink further in his spot. Harry would have felt sorry for him if he wasn't so hungry.

"He's told you this?" Molly asked, eyeing her husband critically.

"Mum," Draco pleaded with his eyes.

"It's a nice, respectable job," Lucien said. "Of course he wants to."

"I always thought he seemed more of an artist," Molly hummed. "I mean look at his room!"

" i Mum /i ," Draco repeated, sweating.

"We're all entitled to a hobby, I suppose," he looked at his son. Lily looked very tense; something that Harry thought was very odd.

"Why don't we start?" she piped up, unpacking some napkins and paper plates and hiding some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chips behind her back, as if embarrassed.

"Good Idea," Molly opened the bowls. "Draco, darling, would you pass out the plates, and Harry, love, the napkins?"

"Sure," they got up, and passed them out, but before Harry sat back down, Draco cut in.

"We'll be right back," Draco said. "Come here for a second, Harry."

"But…" Harry's stomach rumbled and he crossly got to his feet.

"Don't go far," Lily warned.

"It'll only be a second," Draco muttered and Harry followed him behind a couple of trees a couple of yards behind.

"Huh?" Harry asked, stomach rumbling again.

"Er… I just… I just wanted to... My father, he's…"

"A jerk?" Harry offered.

"Don't listen to him, okay?" Draco asked, quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"He's going to try to get to you," he continued. "Don't let him."

"Okay?" Harry said. "Is that all."

"Yeah…"

"You want to be a doctor?"

"No."

"Thought so," Harry muttered.

"I want to be an artist, like Mum said. I sent you some pictures once, but you threw them away," Draco sighed.

"Oh," Harry felt slightly ashamed. "Sorry."

"Doesn't matter," he said. "Let's go back before Mum starts to worry-" Harry's stomach begins to rumble. "-Or you die of starvation."

"Yeah," Harry said, not really knowing what else to say. They walked back and took their seats, Harry's mouth watering from the smells.

"Tuck in!" Molly smiled. Harry immediately piled some mashed potatoes on his plate and grabbed a sub and munched on it, but nobody seemed to notice it but Lucien.

"You're a civilized being! Eat like one, boy!" Lucien snapped.

"He can eat how he likes!" Molly pursed her lips at her husband. Harry was a little – no, very irritated, now that he had food in his mouth. Mr. Malfoy'll never change.

"So, Draco, when are you planning on getting the mark?" Lucien asked Draco, who sneered up at him.

"As soon as I get the chance," he answered, smugly. Harry froze, and then realized what was happening and searched desperately for muggle objects, like he had seen last time. He sifted his hands on the ground, to get up, and instead of touching the grass, it was a warm, squishy substance, and he had found his object.

"Harry!" Lily held his arms side by side, locking him in place. He opened his eyes, stupidly. He was beginning to hate these world shifts – it was so hard to tell, but he had done it. And he was quite proud as well. He looked around, observing the scene around him.

"Oh, Merlin," Harry grumbled and shook his arms for Dr. Porter to release him, which she had realized he was back at the picnic and had obliged. "S-sorry."

"Oh, it's okay, love," Molly didn't look that frightened, but her face was concerned. "You are all right, aren't you? How many fingers am I holding up?" Harry looked at her for a moment and stole a glance at Lily, who looked moderately amused at her tactics.

"2," Harry said.

"You're okay," Molly sighed with relief. Harry, however, didn't feel completely back to normal.

"You're a mad young delinquent!" Lucien roared. "Stay away from my son!"

"Lucien!" Molly gasped. Draco's face was almost beet red, which looked oddly like Uncle Vernon when he was angry, but in this case, Draco was embarrassed.

"It was a very mild one, father," Draco tried to calm him.

"We're leaving!" Lucien got up, wrathfully. "Now!"

"No," Molly said, firmly. "Sit."

"Now, Molly!"

"Lucien, sit, or you can forget coming home tonight!" Molly snapped. Lucien looked ready to kick her, but he sat back down and Draco looked like he was going to hyperventilate.

"Mr. Malfoy, you forget why you are here," Lily was very peeved. "You are here to support your i son /i !"

"I came, isn't that enough?" he glared.

"No," Lily hissed.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, his voice hardly over a whisper. "I didn't – didn't mean to, really – I-" he stumbled over his words; wiping his hands on his robes… wait… robes? Under his breath, so nobody could here, he mumbled. "Not real… not real…" Lily, however did hear him.

"Harry, can I talk to you?" she didn't hesitate to pull him up and over out of view. She seemed to know that he was trying to conceal it.

"D-Dr. Porter!" Harry looked around, wildly, not seeing her, but feeling her hands clutch his elbows. "It's not going away!"

"We need to get you back to the hospital," she held him to keep him from moving.

"No, please," Harry said. He hadn't even gotten to eat yet and he was very hungry.

"Deep breaths, Harry," she said, quietly. The forbidden forest was just how he remembered it. He could even hear familiar thumps of something gaining. Very familiar…

"Oh Bloody Hell!" Harry coughed, breath becoming rapid. "Not real!"

"Stay with me, you just got out of it, don't go back!" she whispered. Harry turned his head slowly, a large, slimy black creature breathing down his back. A large, slimy black i 8-legged /i creature, to be exact.

"Aragog!" Harry whimpered.


	10. Terror in the Forest

"D-Dr. P-Porter?" Harry whispered, his face only inches from the black, slippery spider. Hot, sticky breath blew in his face, making him shudder.

"You're not – as brave," Aragog took deap breaths in between words through his gigantic pincers. "-as you once – were – Mr. Potter…"

"Bloody Hell," Harry fumbled with his arms and his robes, but a pair of unseen hands was restraining him in his place. "Not happening… not /i happening…"

"Oh, but it is, Mr. Potter – and – you have no – Weasley – with you," he continued. Harry leaned backwards and felt himself fall to the ground, Lily's arms still restraining him. He peeked through the trees where the Malfoy's should have been sitting, but all that was there was a blanket of white fog.

"My wand – where's my wand?" Harry fumbled out of Lily's invisible clutches and found his wand's nice, smooth surface. He nearly cried out of joy to, once again, be reunited with it. He racked his brain for the incantation, but it had been so long since he had paid attention to magic.

"Don't give in, Harry!" Lily's voice whispered.

"Harry!" a voice called from behind him, he, as well as Aragog, snapped their focus to the voice. Right behind him, decked in Slytherin robes, was Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy! What the hell are you-"

"Listen, Harry," he said, walking slowly in the direction on the spider. "You need to snap out of it!"

"You're… the real Draco Malfoy?" Harry asked, sensing the spider inching forward.

"Yes!" he insisted, until he was standing next to Aragog, whose wheezing was getting louder. Only a few inches now…

"Stay back, Mr. Malfoy!" Lily's loud screech rang in his ears. Something out of place… where is there something out of place? /i 

"I'm calling the police!" Lucien yelled.

"And do what; say he's having a seizure or something? He has care already!" Harry felt his breathing quicken and his throat close.

"Hagrid sent me!" Harry said, randomly, beads of sweat trickling down his forhead.

"That… what…. Your excuse… last… time…" Aragog continued. He seemed sickly. The wind seemed to pick up suddenly as a blue car zoomed above him, and Aragog grew stiff, yet stared at Harry carefully. As the car zoomed over his head, little red plastic cups blew with it. He concentrated.

"Draco, I need you to talk him through it, Molly, go down to the hospital and get some help, ask for Dr. Ronald Weasley, Lucien – just… stand back!" Lily's voice was still loud in his ear.

"Snap out of it, Harry, snap out of it!"

"Shut up!" Harry groweled.

"Who's he talking to?" the Draco to the right of the gigantic spider whimpered.

Little red cup…. Little… red… muggle /i cup. Aragog flickered. Harry concentrated. Lucien's expression of shock appeared. He pressed further… further… and…

Harry took in a deep breath and blinked his eyes, getting the last threatening trees of the forbidden forest out of his mind. He relaxed suddenly and felt his head ache immensely.

"Okay," Harry wheezed.

"Who's he talking to now?" Draco insisted.

"I'm fine now, let go," Harry wiggled away from Lily's grasp. "I said I'm fine!"

"Harry?" Lily asked. "Can you hear me?"

"I could hear you the whole time!" Harry muttered, a little darkly.

"Then you should have come to your senses!" Lucien roared.

"It's not that easy, Malfoy!" Harry snapped from his crouching position.

"Mr. Malfoy, I'm going to have to ask you to return to the hospital, you are causing too much trauma for my patient!"

"Come, Draco," Lucien glared at the nurse and Harry felt like vomiting, but tried to hold it. Thoughts buzzed through his mind. Why was Aragog there?

"I'll come later, father," Draco said, defiantly. Harry felt annoyed. The food was probably cold right now – no, this was not the right time to be thinking about food. Aragog, why was he there?

"Do you have anything written down about Aragog?" Harry asked timidly as Lucien Malfoy stormed back towards the hospital.

"Ask me that later, Harry," Lily said. He felt even more infuriated but didn't press further. Just as Harry had gotten to his feet, (which Lily protested greatly to) a lout ranting noise issued from the distance.

"…Idea! I knew…. bad idea! This… last time I… going to allow… Never again…"

"Do you get the feeling Ron's angry?" Harry grinned slightly, but remembering the situation he was in, hid his expression quickly.

"No," Lily looked exasperated. Draco sniggered, despite the predicament.

"S-sorry," he said between snickers, "It's just… you said it all seriously and…"

"I was serious…" she trailed off as she saw Ron marching up the hill with a syringe in his hand, followed by a few guards. "Okay, so he may be a little upset." It was Harry's turn to grin. Ron looked just like he did when Hermione went to the Yule Ball with Krum.

"Wipe that grin off you're face!" Lily hissed, quickly. "that wasn't funny."

"Did I say I found it funny?"

"You're grinning madly like you did!"

"Sorry," Harry rolled his eyes. "It wasn't my fault."

"You should have braced yourself for Mr. Malfoy," Lily sighed.

"Excuse me!" Harry's smirked wiped clear off his face. "You invited him!"

"Well I didn't know he would act like this!" she argued.

"So that makes it my fault, then?"

"No, I'm just saying – you should try harder to control your emotions!"

"So we're back to this, then!"

"No!"

"Sounds like it to me…"

"Harry, just… just be quiet,"

'So… Lily doesn't like being blamed for things. I could use that later on if I need to…' Harry thought.

"Potter!" Ron yelled. "What's happened here!"

"Um…" Harry felt his stomach tighted, holding back some laughter, predicting Dr. Weasley's reaction to what he'd say next. "Nothing really… eating and stuff… y'know, things people normally do on picnics-"

"What did I tell you about being sarcastic?" Ron's eye twitched.

"I don't remember," Harry, bit his lip to hold back a laugh. Twitch…

"Dr. Porter, another episode?" he began to ignore Harry.

"No," Harry said in the same serious tone Lily had used. She glared. Twitch…

"It was quite major - he went into fits, as if terrified…"

"Nuh uh!" Harry insisted. "It wasn't major; I came out of it, didn't I?"

"So you admit it?"

"Nope," He continued with his charade. Twitch…

"…almost seizure-like–" Lily continued as if she weren't interrupted.

"Was not, I couldn't move if I wanted to! You had me in a death grip!" Harry insisted.

"How long did it last?" Ron continued, and in one quick motion roughly pulled his eyelids back with his thumb and examined his eyes with a very bright light. He was finished before Harry could retaliate. Harry glared up at him.

"Approximately 10 minutes, he was able to hear us though," she said.

"Does he have a strategy?"

"Objects, he looks for objects. I wrote it down for you yesterday," Lily looked at him, disapproving.

"What'd he see?"

"A cup," Draco aided. "I threw a cup."

"No, it was the wind!" Harry insisted thoughtfully. "Wasn't it?"

"It was Draco," Lily told him and they continued with their doctor garble. Harry sighed.

"He doesn't need to be sedated, then?" Ron said, thoughtfully.

"Nah, he seems fine now," Lily said.

"I'm sure you're quite disappointed," Harry muttered, darkly. Eye twitch… twitch…

"I was hoping I didn't have to," Ron continued.

"Lies," Harry said confidently.

"Shall we head back?" Lily asked.

"I'm eating!" Harry got up to head back to his spot, but Lily stopped him.

"Do you honestly think we'll allow you to stay out here after that?" she exclaimed.

"Why not?"

"Come on, Potter," Ron said and the guards immediately took him by the arms and began to lead him back.

"But I didn't get to eat!" he protested.

"You'll be able to eat dinner," Lily sighed as she walked beside him.

"But-"

"-Harry, just… let it go…" Lily warned.

Harry was back in his room. His cold, dreary little space. His stomach rumbled loudly and he was reminded of the time he let the snake loose on Dudley. He wasn't able to eat at all that day, but strangely, he felt hungrier now. Maybe he had eaten in the real world that day.

His stomach groaned once more. Perhaps he shouldn't think of food. How long until dinner? 3 hours… no, must keep food off my mind. Before he could think of another topic to think about, there was a soft, almost reluctant tap on his metal door.

"What?" Harry said, expecting Dr. Porter or Dr. Weasley, but it wasn't a redhead.

"Hey," Draco greeted him, softly.

"I thought I wasn't allowed visitors in here…" Harry observed him.

"You aren't. I've snuck in," Draco shrugged and sat on the end of his bed. "Here." he held out a small white paper bag. Harry took it suspiciously and peered inside.

"Yes!" Harry chirped gleefully. There were some of Molly's chocolates and in a baggie were some turkey pieces. "Thank you, Malfoy – sorry, Draco…"

"No problem," Draco smiled. It wasn't a common occurrence that Harry saw him smile; it was usually a smirk or a sneer. "Sorry about my father."

"Why do you let him push you around?" Harry spoke with his mouth full, and tiny bits of turkey fell on the sheets, which he wiped off with his hand.

"My dad's a real powerful man," Draco shrugged.

"I don't see how a nice person like your mum could be with such a jerk," Harry munched.

"I've asked myself the same question," Draco said.

"So… how's the real world?" Harry asked, crossing his legs Indian-style. Draco shrugged. "How's school?"

"It doesn't start for another 2 months," he replied.

"Right, right," Harry acknowledged. "I'm a bit cut off. Wow – tell your mum she's a good cook, this is delicious."

"Sure," he said. There was a long pause. "Ginny called me last night."

"Sorry, what?"

"Ginny."

"Why?"

"The usual optimistic ranting she always has about you."

"Meaning?"

"She think's you'll come out of it again."

"Again?"

"She always says 'this'll be the time that Harry pulls through' and such. She's always very optimistic," he said.

"Oh," he didn't know what else to say.

"For her… please… try," Draco strained.

"I have been," Harry said, defensively.

"I know you have," he said quickly. "But she's very distressed. She's a little shook up too, this time."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Oh," he whispered. The non-existent kiss came into his thoughts. Damn… "Are they going to visit again any time soon?"

"In a few days, we all have it planned. Vick might not be able to make it, th-"

"DRACO MALFOY!" Lily screeched. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE!" Harry immediately shoved his bag under the sheet.

"Er… I was – I was… um…" Draco began to sweat.

"OUT!" she ordered and he ran out.


	11. Doctor Dilemma

What's gone on before…

"DRACO MALFOY!" Lily screeched. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE!" Harry immediately shoved his bag under the sheet.

"Er… I was – I was… um…" Draco began to sweat.

"OUT!" she ordered and he ran out. /i 

"The nerve of that boy!" Lily raged. "How dare he? The rules clearly say-" Harry heaved an over exaggerated sigh. "I'm not mad at you, of course."

"I know," Harry muttered as he pulled the covers over his head.

"I should talk to his parents-"

"-NO!" he sat up strait.

"Excuse me?" Lily asked, stridently. "This is a serious incident!"

"You'll just cause him trouble," Harry said, timidly.

"He should be! Visiting a patient in his condition… he could have gotten hurt!"

"Hey!" Harry wrathfully exclaimed.

"Well you just had another episode, you could have easily slipped back-"

"Yeah, yeah…. Whatever…" Harry huffed. "That was wrong of him yada yada…. He should be punished yada yada… but telling his parents – expecially Lucien – is just cruel."

Dawning shown in Lily's green eyes. Eyes he missed seeing in mirrors.

"You want to be friends with him!" a shadow of a smile gleamed on her face.

"I hate Draco!"

"Do not!" Lily's grin expanded. "You even dropped the 'Malfoy' name."

"That's because there were 3 'Malfoy's' to deal with today, I think it would have offended them all if I called him just 'Malfoy.'"

"You've realized what a sweet boy he can be!"

"Oh yeah – sweet. Just the word I was looking for…" Harry rolled his eyes, sarcastically. "Seriously, I just think telling Lucien wouldn't be the best thing to do."

"Sure, Harry, sure," Lily held her smug smile.

"He's still a jerk," Harry continued.

"Mmhmm…"

"What? He is! He… he…He snuck in here! /i " Harry said, hoping for her to continue ranting, even if that what he hated most about her.

"Why?" she asked.

"I dunno…"

"What's that?" her eyes darted to a small white paper bag.

"What?" Harry asked innocently, shielding it from her view.

"That thing you're hiding…"

"I don't see-"

"You've got something! Give it here!" Lily demanded, all sign of amusement gone as she menacingly tried pulling the bag from him. Unlucky for him, the bag was made of paper and it ripped. The baggie and the chocolate fell unceremoniously onto his bed and he grabbed them as quick as he could, but his doctor had seen.

"Chocolate?" Lily glared. "You aren't allowed to eat in here!"

"I ate in here the first week!" Harry protested, studying the three lone chocolates that were clamped tightly in his hand which Lily hadn't managed to snatch.

"Well that was different!" Lily grumbled as she put the food she had been able to seize in her large white pockets. "You just came out of your-"

"I just came out of one now!" Harry added. "Why can't I?"

"Because I will not encourage it!"

"Come on!" Harry said, and added with a sugary smile. "For me?"

"No!" Lily fumed. "Where did you get this?"

"Molly," Harry said, simply and plopped one of the chocolates in his mouth, much to Lily's disgust.

"You took it from the picnic?" she continued to badger him with questions.

"Well the food was there," Harry said, cryptically, "I figured eating food was a common thing to do on a picnic, unless that was part of my imagination as well-"

"I told you to wait until dinner for food!"

"What's a little snack?" Harry glared. "I can't help but notice that you automatically blame me."

"But you just said you did!"

"I didn't say I did, I didn't say I didn't."

"So that's why Draco was here?" she asked.

"May /i be…" Harry said, and just to make her mad for accusing him, he plopped another chocolate in his mouth in slow-motion and chewed it over exaggeratedly.

"Stop that! /i " Lily boiled.

"Stop what?" Harry gurgled, his mouth stuffed with chocolate. She looked at him disgusted. Then, a small smile was once again planted on her face.

"Hermione gave you ketchup to eat this morning again, didn't she?" she grinned.

"Butter packets, actually," Harry glared. "I happen to be hungry. Now, would you be so kind and return my turkey."

"Answer this one question first," Lily took the turkey out and waved it a safe distance from his reach. "Why was Draco in here?"

"You know why," Harry rolled his eyes.

"Harry…" she warned.

"Food, of course," he sighed and held out his hand "The turkey? Please?"

"Hmm…" she smirked, "So… was that a nice thing he did?"

"That was more than one question," Harry said, but when she didn't move to hand him the baggie, he gave in. "I guess so, yeah."

"Now see, isn't he a nice boy?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, sure - the food?" Harry ushered towards the meat.

"Argh, fine," Lily tossed it to him. "All guys think about is food."

"Thank you," Harry said there was a long pause as Harry munched on his food.

"Harry… there is…. Um… The reason I came in here was… Er…"

"Sorry?" he looked up.

"There is something-" she was cut off by the door opening.

"There's no way around it, Dr. Porter, I tried talking to her on the phone and she said she's coming. Tuesday," Ron's ears were red and he looked angry.

"Tell her no, she knows what happened last time," Lily argued.

"I tried /i , she said she wants to see him. We can't stop her," Ron explained, in a concerned fashion. "Albert still has her on the phone, trying to persuade her."

"Can't we get a lawyer or something?" Lily sighed.

"She has all legal rights to see him, we can't do a thing," Ron's ears got redder as he grew increasingly frustrated.

"Can we delay the visit?" she asked.

"I'll go check," Ron exited and Lily huffed, looking livid.

"Whassamatter?" Harry said with a full mouth.

"I'll just say someone wants to visit a patient and we'd prefer not because of their condition," Lily was furious.

"Who?" Harry asked.

"I won't say. Besides, we're doing everything we can to prevent it," Lily said. "Anyway… Oh! I almost forgot! It's almost 4:00, isn't it?"

"That's what the clock says," Harry looked up at her.

"You have to take your pills," she went to the end table and handed him the couple of pills and a cup of water which he didn't notice it being put there in the first place.

"Yeah, yeah," Harry examined them. "What happens if I chew them?"

"You can try it, but it's disgusting," Lily said. Harry plopped them in his mouth and swallowed it with a splash of water. The door, once again, opened.

"She'll settle for Thursday," Ron peeked in.

"That's still not good enough!" Lily's face matched her hair, making the two of them looks strangely identical. "Harry only just came out of it, we need-"

"You're talking about me!" Harry jumped off his bed and discarded the food he had in his lap. "Who wants to see me?"

"Nobody, it won't happen," Lily chewed on her tongue.

"Tell me! It's my business! You're talking about me!" Harry yelled. He felt strangely like he did last year at the Order meetings.

"Your mind is too-"

"-Fragile, I know, just tell me!"

"Yemuther…." Lily slurred quickly.

"Sorry?"

"Your mother," she repeated clearly.

"Rita Skeeter!" Harry yelped. "Why the bloody hell does she want to see me?"

"I don't know, but she will not write another article! She went too far last time!"

"What if I talk to her?" Harry asked, quietly after a long pause. "You know, to delay it like you want to."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Lily said.

"We can try… just talking to her for a minute or two can't harm him," Ron suggested. Harry felt greatly ignored because they were talking about him as if he wasn't there.

"I don't trust her," Lily folded her arms.

"What else can we do?"

"I don't know!"

"Where is the telephone?" Harry asked.

"If she gives you any trouble, give me the phone immediately," Lily glared at the phone. Harry ushered them back as he pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" he voiced into the phone.


	12. Inconvenient Plans

"Larry, honey, is that you?" a coo voiced from the receiver. Harry felt his throat swell up.

"My name isn't Larry," Harry muttered. He saw Lily throw her hands up in the air out of the corner of his eye. He turned slightly to get her angry image out of his range of sight. "It's Harry."

There was a loud curse.

"_Harry_, son, how have you been?" her voice was strained.

"Fine…" Harry trailed off.

"You want me to come visit, right, darling?" she asked.

"Now is not the best time," Harry said, quietly.

"Not now, Tuesday," she told him.

"That's not a great time either," Harry continued.

"Well –" Harry could practically hear her teeth grinding. "What about… _Thursday_."

"I… er… listen, Rita- "

"I am you're mother! Call me – call me mum," he seemed hesitant.

"Er… _Mum_, listen, I don't know if it is such a good idea – we're kind of… busy? And… I'm still recovering, you see. My mind is fragile and stuff so it's not the best time-"

"They are telling you to say that!" she hissed. "I'm not talking to you, Porter, I'm talking to Larry!"

"It's _Harry_," Harry smirked. The first time it was disappointing, now it was getting amusing.

"That's what I said!" she was yelling, but her mouth didn't seem close to the phone. "Harry please, I really want to see you."

"I just came out of a… fit?" Harry looked at Lily, questioning his word choice. She, however, wasn't even looking at him. She was having a silent fight with Dr. Weasley.

"You need some stability, then!" she argued. "You need your mother!"

"Can I need my mother at a later date?" Harry snickered to himself, Lily looked at him sharply.

"Are you being sassy with me!" Rita screeched.

"Um, no…" Harry tried to control his laughter. "Dr. Weasley made me say it." Ron's mouth dropped and Lily snatched the phone from his grasp.

"Hello, Skeeter? The answer's no – we need more time to stabilize him! He's doing fine without you! What? No, Dr. Weasley did not make him - I am not covering up for him! Excuse me! This is a fine institution, thank you very much! We do too care about – _don't you hang up on me!_ Miss Skeeter? Miss Skeeter!"

Harry was choking on his laughter. Dr. Weasley didn't seem too shocked about him being disrespectful towards him – he was more shocked at him being disrespectful towards his mother. Harry didn't know he was ever polite towards Rita. Apparently, he was.

"ARGH!" Lily slammed the phone down. Harry grinned innocently up at her as she steamed out curses.

"So…." He purposefully left a long pause. "Thursday, then?"

"No," Lily put on the calmest face she could muster. "Monday."

"So I bought us three days?"

"No, correction. You lost us three."

"You're kidding!" Ron threw his hands up in the air. "Potter!"

"Oops… sorry… well… I could be sick… from…" Harry stalled, thinking of a reason. "That's all I got. See ya!" He turned the door knob, only to find it locked. Oh, how he wished he could have made that exit. His 'scene' would have been perfect.

"You think this is funny, I know you do," Lily's eyes were blazing. "You don't understand!"

"I apologized!" Harry defended.

"You're not holding up your part of the deal," Ron observed.

"What deal?"

"You said you wouldn't be rude and we'd allow you treats," he continued. "Remember?"

"I already blew that because I had a relapse or whatever you want to call it. Why work for something I wont be able to get?"

"Think of the long run – you'd be out of here and you could do whatever you wanted to freely!"

"Cant you leave me alone?" Harry felt a great surge to rant.

"You can't end this discussion like this! You're doing this to yourself! Every time you act like a smart-aleck it sets you back! You think it's funny and it's hurting you in the long run! Don't you ever want to get out of here?"

"I can't help my condition!"

"You can gain a more positive attitude!" she snapped.

"What's life without a little amusement?" Harry argued.

"Doesn't it bother you that you may not recover?" Ron cut in.

"I guess you're stuck with me, then," Harry growled back.

"No, actually, we're not. Once you turn 18, you go to a different place. They have less doctors there and more patients. You won't get the help you need. Now is the best time to work towards getting out of here!"

"Is this done? Can I think about my actions now?" Harry asked, his arms folded. Lily huffed in disappointment.

"Go, Dr. Weasley, escort him," Lily waved them away and sat down to work on paperwork.

Harry was locked in his room. He was quite comfortable, but anger weighed heavily on him. He wanted to be left alone and he got his wish, but not he wanted to rant. Rant like he's never ranted before. He wanted to rant the angriest rant in all ranting history – oops… he was getting too far ahead of himself.

He wanted to kick something – destroy something. Right now. He thought better of it, however, because his room was being recorded and sedatives didn't look to appealing at the moment. Remus. He wanted to talk to Remus. He was always easy to talk to. Harry searched around for a buzzer or something to get the doctors attention. There was none that he could see.

"HELLO!" Harry yelled at the top of his lungs. "DOCTORS, HELLO! PATIENT NEEDS HELP HERE!" He waited several minutes for a response, but there was none. Okay. Now he really wanted to kick something. He eyed the video camera wearily, but before he could carry out what he wanted to do, he realized something.

Since they weren't paying attention to him now, why not get their attention? Harry rolled his bed towards the camera and when he stood up he was just feet away from the lens. He tapped on the lens. He might have ripped it off if wasn't protected by a plastic white box that concealed the wires. Harry waited patiently with his arms crossed. When nobody came, he blew on the lens and it steamed up enough that it would be hard to see anything if the monitors tried.

Still nothing? Great Merlin – he could be having another relapse and they still wouldn't come to his aid! What had Peeves said that one time? Something about his mattress?

Harry did the last thing he would have thought of before – he jumped. It was quite bouncy, like Peeves had commented. The doctors didn't like that, did they? After all, he could hurt himself.

"POTTER!" the door slammed open and Harry stopped jumping and let himself fall on the bed in a sitting position. Thank you, Peeves!

"It's about bloody time!" Harry snapped to Dr. Weasley who looked quite irked. "I want to talk to Dr. Lupin."

"He's busy," Ron said with a sneer, but Harry knew how Ron lied. Not very well, that is.

"Liar," Harry growled.

"How do you know if I am lying or not, Potter?"

"Your eyes blink a lot when you lie," Harry shrugged. "I noticed it a few days ago."

"I'll notify him," Ron said through clenched teeth.

"And can we get a buzzer or something in here, I might need – " Harry started, but Ron cut him off by slamming the door.

"Harry, great to see you, everything is good, I trust?" Remus greeted him with a warm smile.

"No," he heaved a sigh. "The other doctors won't leave me alone."

"It's not their job to leave you alone," he said calmly.

"I know, but they yelled at me!" Harry glared at the video tape in the corner with its little red blinking light.

"Were you being sarcastic?"

"No…" Harry grinned, innocently.

"You don't see what you are doing?"

"What am I doing?"

"You are pushing people away. You won't let them get passed your cynical wall you've built around you."

"I had this same exact talk about 20 minutes ago," Harry droned.

"Why didn't you heed what they said?"

"Because – I… Why can't I? Amuse myself, that is. What's a little laughter in our lives?"

"You think everyone is amused?" Remus asked him, not unkindly.

"Well maybe not everyone, but – "

"Don't you think Dr. Weasley and Dr. Porter are frustrated? You're just over a week out of your relapse and they are already upset with you."

"I wasn't trying to upset them!" Harry growled.

"But you were. You've act this way in the past, you've even admitted to trying to annoy them as much as you possibly can."

"Well…. Okay, a little bit, but I don't want to feel controlled."

"Mmm… you haven't shared that part with us in the past. It's a very good thing that you told me, Harry," Remus said.

"Why is that? So you can use it against me?"

"No, how would – no, sorry, why would we want to do that? We want you to recover. Besides, we are not trying to control you, just trying to – "

"- Help me?" Harry asked. "I know, I've heard that once… or twice… or three times… maybe four… or f – "

"- get the idea," Remus held up a hand.

"Well… tell them…" Harry darkly said. "Tell them…"

"Not to control you?"

"Give me some space."

"I'm sure they would without hesitation if you would cooperate," Remus smiled, his eyes wrinkling slightly when he smiled. "But I will tell them."

"Thank you," Harry said and felt very calmed when a guard walked him back to his room.


	13. A Mother's Love

b u WHAT TOOK SO LONG! /u /b - Hehe, I am sorry I haven't updated for a week. I have… um… two excuses… yeah… they're very good! Heh heh… Okay excuse #1… I had a very nice relaxing time up north… okay, lame excuse… but I wrote! A little… okay! I wrote a paragraph! And the second (much better) excuse is… I GOT A NEW PUPPY! He is so cute! You can look at the picture of him when he was younger under the website link in my personal information. He is a 4 month old Shih Tzu male by the name of Toby! Yay!

i What's gone on before...

"Well… tell them…" Harry darkly said. "Tell them…"

"Not to control you?"

"Give me some space."

"I'm sure they would without hesitation if you would cooperate," Remus smiled, his eyes wrinkling slightly when he smiled. "But I will tell them."

"Thank you," Harry said and felt very calmed when a guard walked him back to his room. /i 

The next few days were very soothing. Remus was able to talk to the other doctors and they had tried their hardest to be patient with him. There were a few times Harry made some remarks, but they didn't say anything. They didn't force him to eat in the cafeteria or therapy with Remus. However, Sunday was very stressful as they tried a few calming methods, like breathing techniques, but Ron and Lily both felt strain as they waited for Monday to come. Alas, it came sooner than expected.

"Move!" came a loud shrilly voice as the doors swung open in the reception area. "Excuse me!" A woman with her hair up in a big bun with dark purple lipstick and a fuchsia dress and high-healed shoes, she held an oversized rose-colored hand bag and her nails were a distinct color of indigo. An impressive-looking man followed her.

"Wait!" Albert, the receptionist, stood from his seat as they woman hurried past him. "You can't go in there!" But the woman didn't seem to hear as she rushed past and through the main doors, but the guards realized who she was and swiftly stood in front of the next set of security doors.

"You need to sign in, Ma'am," the taller of the guards, Avery, firmly declared.

"I am here to see my son," she spat. "I demand entry!"

"If that is so, you'll need doctor's clearance, although if you are a mother as you claim to be, you should get immediate consent from them. However," he droned on as if this was an every-day occurrence. "If the patient is a threat, you may be denied access. Furthermore, non-immediate family members need the permission of the doctors, family and occasionally the patient."

"Oh, don't you worry, he's-"

"Ma'am, if you could please return to the reception area and fill out the necessary forms-"

"But-"

" i Kindly return to the reception area, Ma'am! /i " he ordered in a darker tone.

"What is going on in-" came an irritated voice. The person swung the doors open, the guards safely out of the door's range, and stood flabbergasted at the sight of her. "Miss Skeeter." She added with great distaste.

"Yes?" Skeeter glared.

"You visit isn't scheduled until tomorrow! What are you doing here!"

"Dr. Porter, I presume," Rita drawled with an extraordinarily calm tone. "I recognize your insufferable yelling."

"We aren't ready!" Lily continued, seeming to not have heard the insult. "Come back when you are supposed to be!"

"I am here to see my son!"

"I know that, but-"

"I demand entry; I have every right to be here. I am his mother!"

"I i know /i ," Lily continued. "But you need to be scheduled-"

"Liar!"

"Well… we need… I… FINE!" she stumbled over her words out of anger. "You may enter, but he cannot!" she motioned to the man beside her.

Miss Rita Skeeter smiled wickedly.

Lily walked the two visitors down the halls, her face pale because of rage – or was it shock?

"Skeeter!" one Dr. Ron Weasley gasped. "You can't-"

"She can… we…" Lily forced out the words out as if it were painful to say. "we should take them to the visitor rooms…. Separately, please."

"Excuse me! Separate? I think not!" Rita stared confidently at them; she looked as though she was in control. "I wish to surprise him!"

"You mean you wish to shock him back into relapse!" Ron rudely stated. Harry, apparently, seemed to be rubbing off on him.

"No, I-"

" i Seperately /i , Dr. Weasley," Lily sighed, angrily. "We'll sort everything out soon."

"Right this way," Ron snarled through clenched teeth. The man made a move to fallow Rita, but Lily pulled him to a separate room.

"You're kidding!" Harry said as he was pulled from his breathing exercises with Dr. Lupin.

"Do I look like I am kidding?"

"No," Harry said, quietly.

"I can't believe she would do something like this! No… wait… I can believe it… but..." she let out a growl of fury.

"She said Monday! Wait… i is /i it Monday already?" Harry asked, curiously.

"Sunday," Lily confirmed. They neared the visiting room that he was in when his friends came to visit. "Okay, Harry, remember your exercises?"

"Yes."

"Be on your best behavior-"

"You don't really mean that," Harry stated with a grin, but then realized how rude that sounded and added, "Do you?"

Lily smiled secretly. "I'll try to get a hold of your aunt."

When Lily walked away, occasionally stomping her feet, Harry stared at the door. When he noticed the two guards on both sides of the door seemed to get impatient, he walked in.

"Larry!" a busy-looking woman promptly gave him a pat on the back.

"Hello Ri – I mean… um… Mum," Harry greeted.

"Have they been treating you well? How are you feeling?" she gave him a sickly sweet smile that would have made Delores Umbridge proud.

"Er…."

"Horrible, I imagine," she kept on smiling. "The must make you feel worthless."

"No," Harry whispered. That was not something you said to somebody, insane or not.

"You want to get away from here, don't you? From the pills… the white scenery… the i doctors /i …"

"Well I suppose so, but-"

"Miss Skeeter, what you are saying to him is not going to make things any better for him!" Ron butted in, fearfully.

"I can take you away from here and you can come live with me-"

"EXCUSE ME!" he yelled. "You can not remove him from this hospital!"

"Of course I can," she said. "I can have him treated with more reliable doctors at home!"

"You – you can't – he's made so much progress here – "

"I won't go," Harry said, quietly.

"Sorry, what was that, Larry?" her irksome grin still planted on her face.

"I won't leave," Harry stated, louder. There goes the smile. i Thank Merlin. /i 

"I can transfer – "

"Why? Right when I was making progress?"

"You call this progress! They're brainwashing you!"

"Why did you leave in the first place?" Harry asked, trying to sound contained.

"Well – I – I've already told you this, quite a few years ago," she stuttered.

"Quite a few years ago? Well apparently I don't remember… answer me," Harry ordered.

"I… my job, it was very important! I couldn't be weighed down with a child! I wasn't ready! James left me then, I couldn't do it by myself!"

"Hmm… personal psychiatric help? You sound very rich to me," Harry's eyes narrowed slightly.

"That… well that… it entirely misses the point – "

"You're aunt is on her way," Lily walked in and shut the door noisily.

"What!" Rita yelled. "I don't want her here!"

"You sound like a child!" Lily snapped.

"Please, Larry!"

"My name if not bloody Larry!" Harry exploded. "See how much you know! And you want to play 'mother'?"

"I am your mother!"

"My aunt has taken more care of me than you have!"

"I told you, I couldn't - "

"You couldn't even send your own sister money to help take care of the costs?"

"Well… I…"

"And besides, you named me! You should know what my name is!"

"I… I brought a friend with me today," Rita stuttered.

"You're changing the subject," Ron added.

"OKAY! So I haven't been a mother! I've been horrible, but I want to change that! I want to take you back home with me! I want you to have a family!"

"I have a family," Harry muttered. "And it doesn't involve you."

"You need to watch your tongue! Who lets you get away with such rudeness?"

"You have no right to criticize how I was raised," Harry snapped.

"I'm sorry! I can't go back and change what I have done," she hissed as though her words meant nothing.

"Your right," Harry said. "But you shouldn't have abandoned me in the first place."

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry!"

"None, because you aren't forgiven."

"You are so stubborn!"

"You are so annoying," Harry smiled, calmly.

"Don't you want to meet your other visitor?" she lividly changed the subject, once more.

"Who would he be?" Ron asked.

"James Potter."


	14. The Third Guardian

**Chapter Fourteen: The Third Guardian**

"My father," Harry repeated, his heart pounding loudly.

"Yes," Rita seemed to falter from his lack of response. Ron cursed silently next to where Harry sat. Harry tried to make himself more comfy on the uncomfortable sofa, but to no avail.

"He's in the other room?" he asked.

"Yes," she quietly whispered. "Did you want to see him?"

"Why is he here?" Harry continued to question

"He's you're father, he wants to see you!"

"He _wants_ to see me or did you _ask_ him to see me?"

"We got talking and he said we would like to meet his son!"

"So I've never met him before?"

"Well… no… but let's not worry about that, he wants to see you _now_."

"He didn't want to see me before, then?"

"HE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT YOU BEFORE!" she burst out, angrier than she intended. Harry wanted to give her a wicked smile, but he wanted her to feel how he was feeling now.

"You didn't tell him," Harry stated calmly. Lily and Ron glanced at each other, suspicions high.

"I didn't get a chance to!" she defended herself.

"Why not?"

"He left me, I – "

"You couldn't send him an owl or something?"

"Owl?" Rita asked.

"Letters, sorry. LETTERS! Why didn't you send him letters? Or e-mail?" Harry knew a little about computers because of Dudley, but he never used them – or, at least, he didn't think he did.

"I figured he would have come back to me before you were born and I would have told him then!"

"Way to go, _Mum_, you couldn't even try _after I was born_ to call him," Harry grumbled, but he held a smug face. He realized he didn't care at all – Rita was no way close to fulfilling his idea of what his mother would have been. He felt a need for a better mother figure, but realized he had one. As if on queue, the door opened and two guards let a disheveled woman who looked as if she had only taken a few minutes to get ready.

"Petunia!" 

"Rita," Petunia darkly acknowledged her.

"She's trying to take Harry away!" Ron added helpfully.

"Sorry?" Petunia's eyes flashed towards him.

"She wants to bring him home with her!"

"How could you!" she screeched in Rita's direction. "He is my son, in all ways but one, _sister_! You can't do this! You _know_ how much he means to me!"

"He is _my_ son!" Rita argued.

"You didn't raise him! You _left him on my doorstep_ with a short note and a few clothes! I could forgive you for doing that, after all, you did leave him with someone capable, but this! Taking him back after _fifteen_ years! Despicable!"

"I never signed the papers!"

"I'm aware; I've been fighting you for years!"

Harry was enjoying himself immensely, mostly because Rita was getting what she deserved _and_ two people were fighting to be his mother. 

"Excuse me?" there was a knock at the door. "Am I interrupting?"

"James!" Rita opened the door for him, and the guards looked disgruntled. "This is your son, Harry." Her sickly sweet smile was back as soon as it went last time. She seemed to be clinging to his arm expectantly.

"I thought you said his name was Larry?" James asked. His hair was flat and slicked back with hair gel and he had square glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"She would, wouldn't she?" Harry grumbled, but was looking up at his father with awe. He looked impressive – his suit looked very expensive and he looked well groomed. He looked… _rich._

"Son," James smiled slightly, but looked uneasy. "How's it going?"

"Dandy," Harry replied but then felt immediately bad for his unnecessary sarcasm. His father had done nothing wrong. "Er - I mean… everything's fine… _Dad_…" The word felt very foreign to him.

"So…" James rocked on his heels while jingling some coins that were in his pocket.

"So," Harry repeated awkwardly.

"What kind of things do you like to do?"

"Er… chess, I suppose," Harry muttered. What did he like?

"Chess? Is that all?"

"It appears I enjoy making things up," Harry added, a little annoyed.

"Harry, think positive!" Petunia calmly interrupted.

"I'm sorry, I've never had a son before today," James laughed quietly.

"You did, you just didn't know about it before today," Harry corrected.

"I… well I've known for a week… I'm still shocked about it," he said. "I should have been prepared."

"Why? Sixteen years of not knowing you had offspring? C'mon, Dad, of course you aren't prepared," Harry pointed out. "Who would expect you to be?"

"Well, er…"

"I'm just surprised you are not mad about it. I mean, she kept it from you all this time!"

"Larry, hush!" Rita scolded.

"His name is Harry, dear," James reminded her.

"Yes, yes, sorry. I keep forgetting." She chewed on her tongue.

"She named you after my middle name. James Harold Potter. She told me yesterday that she was so close to naming you – sorry, dear, what was it?"

"Lawrence," she smiled and then added with sugary emphasis, "_dear_" _Lawrence!_

"Yes, I figure she is mixing the letters up without meaning to."

"Mmm," Harry hummed as a response because he couldn't think of anything else, but then darkly continued, "Why would you want to be with Rita?"

"P-pardon?" James stuttered, seemingly amazed by his outburst.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Rita screeched. "Stop this rudeness immediately! And you will address me as 'Mother' or 'Mum' and not – "

"Rita?" added Harry helpfully.

"Precisely," she sniffed.

"What about Mummy? Is that okay, too?" he sniggered.

"If you must," she darted her eyes to the floor and he could tell she was grinding her teeth.

"How about Mama?" he grinned.

"You get the idea!" she snapped.

"Touchy," Harry smiled . 

"-So, Harry," James said, trying to lighten the conversation. "How would you feel if you moved closer to us for a while?"

"I wouldn't," Harry said without thinking. James blinked, apparently surprised and hurt. "I mean, well… um… I don't think this would be the best time… and… uh…"

"Of course he would, don't be silly, Harry!" She glared at him with accusing eyes.

"But-" James started.

"He'll love it there!" she smiled charmingly at him.

"How will you know?" Harry snappishly said.

"Trust me," she wasn't talking to him, but to James. "He'll learn."

"You make it sound as if it's official," Harry protested.

"It is, I've already signed the transfer forms I was given when he was first admitted," she shifted through her annoyingly gigantic red handbag and pulled out an official looking folded up paper. Harry noticed that along the edge that there was lipstick smudges.

"Rita, darling, really – " James feebly said.

"I'm his rightful guardian!" she hushed him.

"I won't go!" Harry stood from his seat.

"Rita, we talked about this – "

"I don't care, James!" Rita harshly snapped. "He's my son!"

"You can't do this!" came Petunia's strangled cry. "He is _my_ son, or as good as one can get! You have little right to waltz in here one day and take him away! No, It is _not_ going to happen!"

"Maybe it's best if we just – " James began.

"James!" Rita scolded. "He's _your_ son too! You should be on my side!" Harry began chuckling. His father _really_ needed to be more assertive. 

"You can't do this!" Petunia yelled. "I won't let you! I'm calling a lawyer!"


	15. Bring in the Clowns

**Chapter Fifteen: Bring in the Clowns**

When Harry was back in his room, Lily and Remus were congratulating him profusely but wouldn't say anything when he asked them about the legal stuff or what they thought would happen.

"I'll have to go to court with them, right?" Harry asked.

"Well… I suppose you would…" Lily thought about it. "This isn't good."

"I know! I hate Rita!" Harry agreed.

"I meant you going to court," Lily said. "You did well today, I'm impressed. What I am worried about is all those people and the lawyers. It can be quite stressful."

"Oh come _on_! Everything is always about my condition with you!" Harry folded his arms and let himself fall back in his bed and put his arm over his eyes.

"She's right, Harry," Remus piped in. "This isn't easy for the best of people. You understand we have to be cautious about these things."

"Blahty blah blah blah," Harry snapped out.

"Don't start with that attitude of yours," Lily scolded.

"I can if I want! This is _my_life we are talking about!"

Lily chose to ignore his comment and said, "Do you even remember what happened _last_ time? No, you probably don't."

"What don't I remember?" Harry peered at her.

"You yelled at him last year, but I think you weren't actually talking to him. It was funny, though, I'm sorry to say. The poor bloke didn't understand what was going on."

"Who did I yell at?

"Cornelius Fudge," Lily simply said. "Good lawyer, poor attitude."

"Fudgie," Harry perked up with a mad little glint in his eye.

"You remember, then?"

"I have a Fudge in la-la land," Harry said.

"Do you like him?"

"No! But you said I confused him?" he grinned.

"Don't get any smart ideas," Lily reprimanded.

"So I _did_ confuse him?"

"Yes," Remus said. "Lily was laughing her head off outside the door when he spoke to you."

"She was, was she?" Harry sang.

"Remus!" Lily tried to hide the trace of a smile she now held on her face.

There was a knock at the door, and Ron poked his head through.

"There's a meeting set up tomorrow at 10:30 with Petunia Dursley and her lawyer – he asks that the food staff send up… well, biscuits and tea. Anyway, you'll need Harry's files, and I've sent them to the receptionist. That's about it, I believe."

"You aren't staying?" Lily looked wearisome.

"No, I scheduled for a vacation a month ago," Ron looked apologetic. "I thought I told you."

"Oh, yes. Sorry, you're right," Lily slapped her forehead. "Do you have both of his folders–"

"-Yes, on the counter…"

"His medicine records-"

"Yes, Doctor. I've set out everything you'll need," Ron has a little smirk on his face.

"Alright," Lily looked distracted. "Well, thank you."

"No problem, see you in a few days," Ron waved. "Oh, and Harry?"

"Yes?"

"_Behave!_" He looked at Harry with a dangerous expression.

"Don't I always?" Harry smiled sweetly, but he had already left.

The next day, Aunt Petunia came in followed by a man who looked so ridiculous that Harry had to refrain from bursting out laughing. They were in his room, which was odd because he had heard that guests were not allowed in the rooms. He dismissed it, however, when he noticed the extra guards stationed in front of the door.

Petunia's lawyer, Cornelius, was the most horrible dresser he had ever seen. His tie was a Christmas tie with hollies patterned along the red and green stripes. His suit was a black plaid, his shirt wasn't tucked in, and his pants were corduroy. There was also a lime green bowler hat on his head, which made him look somewhat like a circus clown. 

"Hello, Harold!" he said in a voice that sounded like his nose was plugged. Harry couldn't help himself and exploded with laughter. Fudge winced.

"Is he safe?" Cornelius Fudge asked with hesitance. Lily quieted him by clutching his shoulder roughly.

"He should be. If not, we can always put him in a straight jacket," she said more to Harry than to Fudge. Harry scowled and tried to hide his newly forming grin.

"Lets just continue, shall we?" Petunia asked.

"Yes, yes," he said, but his voice had a trace of hesitance.

"I don't want to go with Rita," Harry said bluntly.

"Neither do we and that's why I'm here," he talked to him in a tone that one would use with small children.

"Do you think we will have a chance, Mr. Fudge?" Petunia asked.

"I've got high hopes!" he smiled and Harry got a glimpse of a set of crooked teeth. "You must be prepared for the worst, though. She has rights over him that you do not. We just have to persuade the jury that the best place for him is with you. Now, I must ask some standard questions. Harold, has your mother ever hurt you?"

"Oh, yes. All the time," Harry smoothly said.

"He was left at his aunt's when he was very young. There is no way he would remember," Lily answered and cast him another furtive glance. 

"Isn't he the funniest little thing?" Fudge chuckled. "Harold, this is a very, very serious situation, okay? No more lying and I'll bring you something during my next visit."

"Let's just continue, Cornelius."

"Right. Has your mother ever neglected you?"

"She left me at my aunt's house, what do you think? Yes, of course she has neglected me! What a _stupid_ question!"

"No need to get hostile. These are just standard questions I need to ask. Has she neglected you in any other ways?"

"She's written about him in an article for her own personal gain," Lily stated.

"His aunt didn't try to stop her?" Fudge asked.

"She had already left by the time his aunt got here. We notified her right away if that is what you are suggesting!" Lily's face flushed.

"Of course not!" he chuckled nervously. "My mother always warned me of red-heads and their tempers!"

Lily looked very offended by his statement.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just give you his file? I have it here," Petunia took it off of Harry's bedside table and held out a manila folder with a hefty amount of papers.

"I need to hear as much as I can from his word."

"Cornelius, Harry has no memories of anything, remember? We told you that last time!" Lily said.

"What happened last time?"

"Your mother wanted you to give her an interview or something of the sort. The court decided that it was your personal medical information. By the time they announced their verdict she was already off with a different story."

"See! Well, I'm glad it didn't go through, but she dropped interest in me just like that!" Harry huffed.

"Very good point, Harry."

"She'll probably drop her interest in this one as well," he muttered glumly.

"I'm not so sure about that. She's much more adamant about it this time. I think she has some hidden reasons for doing this," Petunia piped up.

"Like what?" Lily asked.

"Well she brought James in this time and she's never done that before. I think she's doing it just to get back together with him. James, despite his appearance, is a family man. He wants a family and she thinks it's the perfect way to keep them together," Petunia solemnly said. "I grew up with her. She's a sly and deceiving woman, Rita."

"Oh, I never thought of that," Lily said thoughtfully.

"Well, I think I'll just go over these files like you said," Fudge nervously said. "I may have enough information."

"Are you sure?" Lily asked. "You can stay for lunch. We have good food here, despite what you've heard about hospital food."

"No, thank you. I've got all that I need," he replied.

"Well, if you are sure…"

"Yes. I'll call you, Petunia, when I've set up a court date. You can call Hogwarts then. What day is best for you? I was hoping it would be sooner, I have another trial for next month set up already."

"Next week?"

"Yes, very good. Cheers to you!" Fudge tipped his ugly green hat and the guards led them out.

"So," Lily turned to Harry. "We have a week. We should get started."

"How about we try a nice relaxing week of doing absolutely nothing?" Harry suggested hopefully.

"Nice try," Lily looked at him wearily.


	16. Traumatic Trials

**Chapter Sixteen: Traumatic Trials**

A week went by quicker than Dr. Porter had hoped. Harry kind of let things pass by, not really paying attention. He was now in the cafeteria for breakfast before the trial began. Hermione wasn't helping his mood at all. He got all of his breakfast alright; Hermione let him today, but just as long as she got to feed him. It was embarrassing, but thankfully everyone else was crazy and didn't notice. She had given him a little gift, too. Ketchup. Thoughtful, he supposed, but he wished that it was in packets.

Lily had been scolding him and fretting. She _really_ wanted everything perfect for the trial but her attitude wasn't helping his own. They'd gone through seven outfits that his aunt had brought over but she wasn't happy with any of them.

It had been a while since he'd been outside, he couldn't remember how long ago the picnic was. With Lily at his side (and no guards, amazingly) they waited for the sanitarium vehicle to come. When he saw the big old automobile, he groaned. So much for not being noticed!

It was a huge, box-like white van with unnecessarily big letters that had, 'Hogwarts Sanitarium,' and a sign on the back of the two doors that read, 'Stay back 20 feet, patient being transported.' He'll just blend in.

"Where's aunt Petunia?" Harry asked, glumly at the prospect of having to even go through with this, let alone risking being sent to Rita's.

"She'll be meeting us there," Lily checked her watch for the third time in the past minute as she helped Harry up into the arduous white, padded seats and sat down across from him.

"Now, I don't want you to be nervous, Harry," she checked her watch again and crossed her legs, then uncrossed them and seemed to be biting the inside of her cheek.

"Of course not," Harry rested his forehead against the window, looking out through the driver's windshield because there wasn't any in his compartment, anywhere to avoid his doctor's nervous habits. "You're not nervous, are you?" He was being sarcastic, but she didn't notice.

"Me? No…" but she checked the clock again. Harry snorted loudly, but didn't look away from the passing trees.

"What?"

"You're a nervous wreck!" he cackled, and glanced in her direction for a response, but seeing he wasn't going to get one, turned back. A few minutes went by slowly, before any of them said anything.

"Am I really?" Lily asked him, calmly.

"Yup," he said.

"Oh."

And that was all that was said for the rest of the trip.

'_No, no, no! Don't make me go!_' was what Harry was thinking rapidly when the van pulled up to a pillared courtroom. His heart was racing. He thought he was prepared for this!

"We're here," Harry rasped out, his voice cracking from nervousness.

"Huh?" Lily looked up. Clearly, she was daydreaming the whole time.

"We're – " but the doors swinging open answered her for him. He noticed that there were indeed guards, despite there not being any when he got on the van. One reached and grabbed his arm, but Harry knocked it away. Did they actually think he couldn't even get out of the van by himself?

"This way, Harry," one of the much kinder guards, Kingsley Shacklebolt, said. (He was the one who had been keeping an eye on him and Hermione during lunch and social time so he doesn't get hurt.)

Harry felt extremely dizzy as he jumped down. He didn't feel like he was going to fall or anything, the guards made sure to "hold him up." They kept Harry in place so he couldn't run away and they were lead into a back room in the courthouse. Harry stayed in the room alone (the guards were guarding the doors and Lily was talking to his lawyer for assurance) and left to his thoughts. He knew they had been running behind getting here, so it shouldn't be long until he's taken to the actual court room. Before he knew it, Lily came in looking quite unnerved. 

"Remember what I told you, alright Harry?" she was plucking nervously at loose strings on the cuffs of her sleeves.

"Yes," his heart was sinking by the second as he realized he only had a few minutes until they were in session.

"Please rise for the honorable Judge, Percy Weatherby," a man dressed in impressive clothing announced, standing in front of a big desk. The crowd whispered and murmured a bit as they all rose, and Harry was helped up by Kingsley. Petunia stood on his right, looking determined, but she tried her best not to let Harry see her weakness. The door slammed impressively open and the judge pranced in with an emotionless look on his face. He sat down, and with that, do did everyone else in the room.

"We are here on the Third of November, for a custody hearing for minor Harry James Potter, patient at Hogwarts Sanitarium, being treated for… let me see…" He looked down at his paper to read. "Severe Undifferentiated Schizophrenia. This case is going to be between this boy's mother and his aunt. Would the one who currently holds guardianship for this young boy please come up?"

Petunia promptly stood up and shot Rita a disappointed look and sat in the book next to Judge Percy's.

"Mr. Fudge," he nodded and Cornelius rose and stood in front of Petunia as she sat.

"How long has your nephew been under your care?" Fudge asked.

"Nearly fifteen years," Petunia held her head up high.

"How old is he now?"

"Sixteen, he was a little over a year old when my sister left him at my house."

"In you're opinion, do you think he's happy with you?" Fudge asked.

"It's hard to answer…" Petunia fidgeted.

"How so?"

"He doesn't live with me anymore and doesn't completely remember the years before his illness."

"I see now. Do you think Rita Potter has ever mistreated Harry in any way when he was a baby?"

"No, I never saw any marks or bruises… He was a little on the small side, but I wouldn't think he was neglected. He probably had a nanny for that year."

"How many times a year on average do you visit Harry?"

"Oh, I usually go about four times a week, but the doctors wish for me to give him some space for a while so that they can treat him without interference."

"Is Rita paying for his hospitalization?"

"No," Petunia said, but she didn't seem bothered. The people sitting behind them began to whisper.

"No? Has she ever sent money to help you raise her son?"

"Never. All Harry's ever got from her is what she left him with at my house."

"When about James, his father? Has he helped with the finances?"

"He didn't know about Harry since about a week ago. Rita never told him!"

"When did Harry begin showing symptoms of schizophrenia?"

"Eleven."

"Do you want to adopt him?"

"Yes, of course."

"Have you ever tried adopting him in the past?"

"Yes, but she never signed any of the papers."

"Did you and your sister get along when you were children?"

"Not really. We were your typical siblings, what with sibling rivalry and all. We never got in too many fights though."

No further questions at the moment, your honor."

Harry couldn't believe how long this was taking. It felt like hours, but Harry knew it was just nerves. He wished that this was all over with and he would be able to go back to his nice, safe, overly white room at the hospital.

The jury began to whisper to one another, but the judge hit his gavel on the bench.

"I'm calling a 15 minute recess!" Judge Weatherby exclaimed. Everyone rose from their seats and exited through the back, but Harry was lead by the guards through a separate door. Apparently they didn't want him mixing with society. So, they dragged him to the small room from before and Petunia joined him and Lily.

"Did I do okay?" Petunia fidgeted.

"Yes, very good!" Lily exclaimed, but she was looking forlorn.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Harry, you're up next," Lily looked at him straight in the eyes.

"W-What?" Harry blurted out.

"Cornelius is going to call you up next. Harry, do you remember the techniques I showed you?"

But Harry wasn't paying attention. He knew he wasn't ready. In just a second, all the techniques she had shown him throughout the week were gone.

"I can't do it!" Harry rasped. "I can't! I can't!"


	17. Interrogations

**Chapter Seventeen: Interrogations**

"Harry – would you say that you like your doctors?" Rita's lawyer questioned. Harry recently learned his name was Randolf Bozo.

"Y-Yes…" Harry's hands were clenched together and he was shaking a bit.

"You seem hesitant to answer that one, why is that?" He bent down slightly so their eyes were at the same level. "Hmm?"

"I'm… I'm just a little n-nervous, sir…"

"Don't scare him! He's only a child, Randolf!" Percy Weatherby, the judge of the court, warned.

"Yes, yes, of course, your honor," He stood straight once again. "So, you're saying that you _do_ like your doctors?" Anger flashed through Harry's eyes for a moment.

"Yes," He said, his voice growing stronger than it was before.

"Have they done their best – in your outmost opinion please, Harry – to help you through this terrible illness?" he asked Harry in a tone that classified him as a mere five-year-old. 

"Do I look like I'm having a fit to you, _Bozo_?" Harry grumbled, glaring at him and putting much emphasis on 'Bozo.'

"Just answer the question, child," his determination flickered.

"Yes, they have been!" He hissed. The guards on either side of him moved forward. Kinglsey put a hand on his shoulder to calm him. "And don't talk to me like I'm a stupid little infant! I'm sixteen bloody years old, for Merlin's sake!"

"Harry, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down," Weatherby serenely warned.

"I am calm!" Harry insisted, but folded his arms and sat back in his chair.

"Has your mother ever hurt you?"

"Oh, yeah, loads of times." Harry rolled his eyes.

"Is that the truth?"

"Is that the truth? Of course it's not! She never cared to visit me _ever_ to get the chance. So no, she hasn't."

"We need straightforward answers here!" Bozo snapped and lost his composure.

"What? 'She hasn't' isn't straightforward enough for you?" Harry grinned sweetly when the pencil Bozo held in his hand snapped in two.

"What kind of things describe your mother in this abstract world you periodically see?"

"And hear."

"Sorry?"

"I don't just see them, _sir_, I hear things in it too," Harry's grin widened.

"_Fine!_" Randolf snapped out, with much constraint. "How would you describe your mother when you have a fit?"

"Nosey… Uncaring… _Buggy_…" Harry said the last on more to himself.

"I'm sorry… did you just say… _buggy?_"

"Yes."

"How would you see her as buggy?"

"She could turn into an animal that could best describe her personality. In her case, a nosey little beetle," he grinned evilly. "Would you like to delve deeper into my subconscious, or is that good enough for you?"

"It's fine," Harry could tell this guy was itching to yell at him. "Next question. What was your aunt's metaphorical animal in your world?"

"She doesn't…" Harry stopped, and quickly lied, "A sheep. A nice, fluffy sheep."

"She doesn't what?" he inquired. Harry mentally cursed.

"Well… er… she doesn't shift often, is what I meant," he nervously twitched, hoping the situation wouldn't get worse.

"What about Dr. Porter? I hear you're rather close with her?"

"She's kind of…er… dead," Harry mumbled, blushing.

"So all in all, you can't really like her if you killed her off, can you?" His smirk was back. Bloody lawyers.

"I DIDN'T KILL HER OFF!" Harry yelled out, defensively. The guards held him in his seat, but he hadn't even moved to attack anyone at all.

"Harry, I didn't mean to provoke you; I know how unstable your illness is, I'm sorry. Dr. Lily Porter must have been doing something wrong to invoke her fate, though, and we mustn't let something like this slip by us, now can we?"

"Yes-we-can," Harry said through gritted teeth. "She died saving my _life_! We mustn't let _that_ slip by us, now can we!"

His lip curled to give Harry the impact that he hadn't appreciated that.

"Enough questions," he shook with built up rage. Harry felt proud of himself as he was allowed to move back to her seat.

"Miss Potter?" the judge asked once Harry was back in his seat next to his doctor, as both Rita and Petunia stood from their seats. "I'm sorry, Rita Potter, I meant. Thank you, Petunia." He said as more of an apology.

Rita confidently rose to the stand, making sure to show up her sister in the confidence department. She straightened her ruby red skirt in a professional manner and placed herself delicately on the stand, adjusting her jewel encrusted red glasses.

"Rita Potter…" Fudge held his hands firmly behind his back and refused to look at her as he spoke in a very McGonagall-like approach.

"Skeeter," she said firmly, but then added, "Please," to make herself look more kind.

"Ms. Skeeter… how long has your only child been under your care?"

"I'd say a year," she said, not faltering, but instead plastering a sickly sweet expression on her face. "I was young and foolish."

"Why did you give up young Mr. Potter?" he asked, just as calm.

"I wasn't married… I didn't have enough income then, and I knew my dear sister had enough of it to stabilize her and her husband. I also knew she wanted a child of her own, I thought it was the best decision at the time," she stared unwavering at him, but he still wouldn't meet her eyes.

"So you think it was still the best decision so far?"

"If I had known I would be in court trying to give him his rightful motherly love, then I'd have to say no," she said.

"How do you think you sister is dealing with your decision?"

"Is this question necessary?" Rita's eyes shot towards Judge Percy. "This isn't a matter between my sister and I."

"Please just answer the question, Ms. Skeeter," Percy looked at her over the top of his rectangle-shaped spectacles.

"I feel she's jealous that I have a son and she doesn't," she clearly didn't appreciate this question being asked and she showed her discontent as she stuck her nose in the air.

"Don't you feel any empathy with your sister? You've allowed her a child she's always wanted – and I'm sure she thanks you for it, no matter what your excuse was – but you've also decided to, out of the blue, take him back. She's wanted a child for so long, don't you feel bad you are trying to take him away? You've never cared for him but with the exception of a year, you didn't know the slightest thing about him, whereas she's _raised_ him since he was young."

"I'm sure she can get over it, after all, I got over letting him go," she stiffly said.

"But you never knew him!"

"I gave birth to him, of course I know him!" she snapped. "But, of course, I couldn't get to know him more for reasons than I have already stated."

"When did you finally reach a point in your career with which you were happy?"

"What does that have anything to do with-"

"Just answer."

She huffed, but this time forgot to question this to the judge and replied with haste, "Around…. Hmm, I would have to say… 1982."

"How old was Harry about that time?"

"Oh, I don't know. Five?"

"What year was he born again?"

"July, 1980. Is there a point to this?"

"Your son was two years old at that time, it was a year after you had left him with your sister, more or less. You clearly had reached a point where you were able to financially care for your son. Why didn't you take him back then and saved your sister years of emotional attachment to – what seemed to her – a son?"

"Well… I was… I was busy, you see. How could I have taken care of him when I was so involved with my work?"

"What about James Faust? 

"What about him?"

"Where was he when all this took place?" he asked.

"We had broken up at this point, even before Harold was born."

"Didn't you tell him about your pregnancy?"

"Why would I? We didn't exactly leave off on the best of terms, how could I just stroll up to him and tell him he's going to be a father?"

"Quite. But you see, he could have helped financially support Harry," he said.

"Don't you think I hadn't thought about that! I was afraid he'd reject me! But it doesn't matter now – we can be a family! I can have my son – no, _will_ have my son, Mr. Fudge. Because now, I'm engaged and once we're married, we can have the perfect future – together!"


	18. The Gentle Grim

You did so well, Harry!" Lily praised after a long silence in the small library room

"Thanks," Harry mumbled, still tensed.

"Do you think we'll win?" Petunia said with much strain in her voice. There was an eerie silence that reminded Harry strongly of Snape's potions class, without the potions and Snape, of course.

"Let's hope so. Miss Skeeter is a very powerful woman with a great deal of money in her pocket. Sadly to say, it could be an advantage for her."

"But I've got some money! I've paid everything on time – " Petunia looked hysterical, like her life was slowly being ripped through her fingertips.

"I know," Dr. Porter put a hand on her shoulder in attempt to calm the distressed woman. "You've helped us so much, we can old hope it's enough."

"Do you think Buggy's going to have an advantage with the engagement?" Harry spoke up.

"Well it did come to us as a shock. It could impact the decision slightly, but I think we made a good case."

"Will we hear anything today?"

"We might, they looked rather confident. I think we just might."

--

"Please rise."

Harry got to his feet and crossed his arms, not looking at anything particular. A little tug on his sleeve signaled that he was able to sit once more.

"We have come to a decision. It was complicated, both sides had strong points, and Mr. Potter needs stability right now. Joint guardianship is not one of the best decisions; however we must look into it. He needs to grasp a higher understanding of social life, try new things and get his brain pumping. We do not believe Hogwarts is supplying him with these interactions."

Harry's heart rose to his throat and his eyes darted to the speaker, Judge Weatherby. He seemed as though he was trying to avoid Harry's eyes.

"However," Harry heard Lily breath in. "I do not believe that James and Rita can properly support Harold with enough care that he needs right now. This boy can not just change drastically without medical and psychological help. People need to supervise him around the clock and give him treatments. It's a huge responsibility, and two people can not do this and it seems impossible for you to learn everything that is needed to help. However…

"If proper care and nurses are available, we can accept this. There is no way custody can go to you without it. If this is appended, I think we could work something out. However, Rita Skeeter, you're actions shame me. You have not taken the time out of your schedule to at least visit your son. This isn't something we can take lightly. You avoided your responsibility, and it troubles us thinking about what kind of care you will be able to supply. However, James Faust has to be given a chance. We must also take into account our financial states. Miss Potter has upheld steady payment, but her job is not well paying and she has struggled along with her other payments. We believe that it is best…"

No.

"…if we grant custody to Rita and James…"

No.

"…for financial and society related reasons."

"No!" Harry felt his throat close before the word came out and he sat in his seat, feeling quite numb.

"As such, Harold will be left under the guidance of his doctors and aunt for one week, in which time Rita and James must find suitable help. If you are unable to acquire suitable help, custody will be returned to his aunt."

"She..." Petunia wheezed. "She can't do this, she…"

"Come on, we need to get out of here," Lily mumbled, holding onto Petunia's shoulders to support her.

Harry said nothing, and he hadn't intended to move either, but the guards were gently urging him along and they walked through a few halls where fancy dressed people all sipped coffee and chatted animatedly. A few shot him disapproving stares as if he had committed a crime.

_'Well, this was a court after all_. Harry thought cynically. As he walked down the steps, a familiar black dog seemed to be staring at him intently. Had he been in his other world, Harry was sure that he would have run to it, but instead he stared at the scruffy dog with a pained expression.

"Padfoot," Harry muttered, as he turned away from the dog. A loud whine came from behind him as he stepped into the hulky van that he had been in earlier today. He hadn't noticed how long he was in the courthouse until now. The sun was still above the horizon but it was darker than what it was when he first came.

Kingsley was about to slam the door shut when the dog leapt inside. Lily screamed in shock and Petunia tried pushing it back out, but the dog wouldn't budge. Instead, his tail wagged and Harry put his hands in front of his face as it tried to lick his face. He could feel the tail whap against his knee repeatedly.

"Get - him - OUT!" Lily commanded and Kingsley clung to the front of his neck as he was dragged out the door. There was no collar that Harry could see, and the eyes looked so familiar.

"Don't!" Harry tried getting up, but the door shut before he could reach out. "It's Padfoot! We cant - "

"Harry, it's just a dog," Petunia said, warily.

"Isn't that the dog who keeps prowling on our campus?" the muffled voice of Kingsley told his fellow guard, above the sounds of ear-splitting barks.

"It's not just a dog, Aunt Petunia!" Harry pounded on the door. "Please, can't we just - "

"No animals," Lily told him, as the van started and pulled away. The dog tried to follow, but a dark-haired man had restrained him and pulled him back. The scene in front of him got smaller as the vehicle pulled away.

--

It hadn't even been a week and everyone had solemn faces. His doses had lightened slightly and he felt himself feeling more energetic than he had when this whole mess started. Harry would have been in a good mood if not for the lingering sadness that he felt whenever he thought of being trapped with Rita. They hadn't received any news on the matter either, so he still had a chance.

He had kept a sharp eye on the window, looking for any sign of the big black dog that Kingsley had unknowingly revealed to have been known for wandering the campus. There hadn't and it hadn't helped his spirits any. A few times he had slipped over the edge and had been talking to Hermione in the library. Her face was concerned and she seemed very annoyed with him. He distinctly heard her say, "I don't know what's been up with you lately, but you have ten late assignments to work on - ten! You always hand in your work!" her voice had changed to concern and sympathetic, "If anything is bothering you, you know you can tell me. I'll tell you what, I'll help you finish these ten and -"

But he had pushed the vision aside, clearing his head. _'Maybe they've been late because I'm _not there anymore!' he thought angrily at her. With his unhappy mood, many episodes like that one had taken over him. It wasn't like before, though, and getting rid of them were extremely easy. Not a word was said to his doctors either, but he decided that they had enough on their place with the other patients, the issue with Rita, and maintaining the entire building. He had heard word that Ginny and Draco had tried many times to visit him, but the doctors didn't allow it because of everything that had been happening.

It was an incredibly dull few days until he got a visitor that his doctors couldn't refuse. Actually, visitors.

"Harold, darling!" Rita reached her arms out embracing, and pulled him into a hug. Harry felt the urge to laugh. It seems she was trying her best to play the part as 'mother' with a large skirt and apron, and it appeared to Harry that her glasses had much fewer jewels than he remembered. James had a large grin on his face and a look that Harry could have sworn was pleased. Two figures, a man and a woman, stood behind them, dressed casually and looking poised.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet Marcela and Jeremy. They'll be your nurses when you come live with us!" Rita positively glowed. The woman with dark hair reached her hand out in welcome and Harry shook it, politely.

"Thank you for coming without forewarning us," Lily tried not to sound rude, but the her voice was dripping with spite. "I see you've found Harry's room without trouble."

"Oh, that – who's his name? Robert? Anyway, he pointed us in the right direction. So how's my little boy today?" Rita ruffled his hair more that it was originally, if at all possible. Harry looked at her irritably.

"Don't call me a little boy," Harry smacked her hand away and the nurses behind her shared a glance._ 'Ah, yes,'_ Harry thought. _'First impressions.'_

"Have you been good for your Doctor Porter?" she asked, and Harry could see even James grow tired of her façade.

"Impeccably," he muttered in a monotonous tone.

"Ready to go?" Rita asked.

"Wait, you're not suggesting he leave today!" Lily shrieked, appalled.

"I am," she smiled sweetly. "Did you not think I would be able to find help? Oh, you are sadly mistaken, Doctor."

"But we haven't had enough time!" Lily argued. At the same time, Ron had jogged in.

"What's going on here?" he asked, glumly when he saw Rita.

"She just waltzed in and said she's taking him!"

"You can't!" Ron's eyes flashed at her.

"Can't I?" she smiled. "I've met all the standards that were set and I've come to take him."


	19. Siriusly Surprised

_What's gone on before...  
"What's going on here?" he asked, glumly when he saw Rita.  
"She just waltzed in and said she's taking him!"  
"You can't!" Ron's eyes flashed at her.  
"Can't I?" she smiled. "I've met all the standards that were set and I've come to take him."_

"This is absurd!" Lily raged. "We were allowed a week with him!"

"Oh? A week, you say? Because I've got the impression that _I_ was given a week to find help, which I have, so I'd appreciate it if you could pack up Harry's things straight away," Rita sneered at her. "Or do I have to call the authorities?"

"Please, Ri - um... _mummy_," Harry winced as soon as it came from his mouth. "Can't I just stay here a few more days?"

"No," she didn't even look at him, as she seemed to be staring down Dr. Porter. "Well, what are you waiting for? I haven't got all day!"

"Rita - darling - I don't see why we need him here today, a few days can't hurt, and we can finish his room -" James seemed almost afraid of her.

"I've got Debby working on it, it should be done by the time I get there," she glanced superiorly at her fiance. James sent a pitiful look at Harry as if to say, 'I tried.'

--

The drive to Rita's House was a long one. They had to go through two different busy cities until they came to a town with huge houses that were acres apart from each other. The houses passed by and Harry almost didn't notice her house until they pulled into a driveway where a roof could be seen poking over a hill. The roof was a solid rusty red color and the siding was copper like cobbled stones cemented together. The smell of chlorine filled his nostrils and he could see the lighted reflection of rippling water on the side of it.

"Welcome home, darling!" Rita was the first to get out of her expensive car. She held her hand out in welcome, as if presenting the house.

"I just moved in last month. It's very nice, I think you'll like it here," James looked up at the house fondly as Marcela ushered him out of the car.

"Welcome home, Ma'am!" a perky woman ran out of the house. She was a dark haired woman with her hair in a bun. "Oh, I've just finished decorating young master Harry's bedroom - oh, my! Is this him?! He is so tall! And look at him! A spitting image of his father!" she exclaimed with such enthusiasm, Rita could be seen wincing.

"Thank you, Debby," she said in annoyance, "Yes, this is Harold."

"I'm so happy to finally meet you!" she smiled.

"It's nice to meet you, too," He replied.

"He's so polite!" Debby looked at him, fondly.

"_Thank you, Debby,_" she repeated, growing aggravated.

"Can I get you anything?" she continued.

"No, thank you," Harry answered.

"I'll give you the tour!" Rita exclaimed before Debby could offer.

"Well, if you need anything, just holler!" she giggled and ran back inside. Harry was pleased that neither of the nurses found it necessary to hold on to his arms as he walked.

They opened a large, two-doored entrance and Harry found himself in a Victorian styled room with decorated stairs.

"To the left is the kitchen. Breakfast is served punctually at 8 o'clock in the morning, lunch at noon, and dinner at 6:00. The maids will be busy in here quite often, so I don't think you should go in there. The bathroom is over here, it's quite large, with a hot tub had you ever wanted to use it, it's yours! Oh, and the dining room. Isn't it lovely? I had one of my friends design it, he's quite a creative, don't you think? I once wrote an article about him - he forgave me, of course, after I complimented his work - well I'm getting off track here, aren't I? Our meals will be prompt and on time as I said, and I want you to be here at those times. There's a pool you might enjoy out back, but I think we should keep you inside for a while. The neighbors don't approve entirely - oh, what I mean to say is that they just need to get used to the idea. They're both nice enough families, although I think Tom Rodley's got a few marks on his criminal record. This is the living room, feel free to use the television all you like..."

Harry mostly droned the rest out, only glancing in the rooms as they walked by them. It wasn't until they made it to his room that he perked up. He had to admit, it was nice. The room was a cool shade of blue, the walls painted with a lot of detail. It was fairly large with his own personal bathroom, although quite small, was a nice change, Harry had to admit. He had a large window overlooking a rather large pond. Overall, Harry was pleased.

"I'll let you settle in," Rita smiled, triumphantly.

--

Harry surveyed his room, taking in his new sanctuary once again. _'It's not school, but at least it's mine.'_ Harry thought, amazingly content. His view rested upon a rather feminine mirror and stared at his reflection for the second time since he 'woke up,' as the doctors had always put it. He missed the emerald orbs that had greeted him every morning when he was getting ready for classes at Hogwarts. Now, his eyes were a dull hue of grey that held so much sadness that he wanted to look away.

His glance went up a few centimeters to his flawless forehead. The scar that made him who he was, what he was, was gone. Had he been asked a few months ago what he would have done to be able to get rid of it, he would have replied with, "Anything." But now, he'd do that exact thing to have it back again. In a desperate thought, he reasoned that he could just take a sharp object and carve it back into his forehead, but that was just stupid. He wasn't that desperate, he only wanted to have his old life back. He could go back if he wanted to, that was a given, but it would take a lot of shock, disappointment and sadness for it to happen. Harry also didn't want to upset the new friends he had gained in this world. Absentmindedly, he rubbed his forehead where his scar used to reside.

"You ready, mate?" Ron's dull voice echoed in the back of his head. "Snape'll have our heads if we miss another detention." 

Harry shook his head, clearing all thoughts and flipped the mirror around so it now faced the wall. He really didn't want to see his reflection. For a while, at least. His solemn thoughts were disrupted by a knock at the door, which he responded to by twisting around so quickly, he almost lost balance.

"Hello, S... er... Harry," James stood in the doorway with his arm crossed, surveying the room with interest. "You like it?"

"Yeah, it's okay," Harry shrugged. "Nice view."

"Yup," he agreed. Harry noticed he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, something that he wasn't used to. Whenever he saw him he was wearing a business suit. "I got something for you - er... I don't know if... I hope you..." He seemed to be struggling with words. "I noticed you took a liking to him, so I tracked him down. Debby?"

The woman Harry was enthusiastically greeted with earlier was back, struggling to pull back on a leather leash. On the end was the Padfoot look-a-like. Harry felt his eyes twinge as she let go and Padfoot leapt at him and started to lick his face. Harry felt his mouth form into a smile as James surveyed the room.

"I don't know what to say," Harry smiled with moistening eyes. "It's the best gift I've ever been given!" Well, apart from the Invisibility cloak.

James gave him the first real smile he had ever seen - not counting photographs, of course.

"What are you going to call him," he proudly asked.

"Padfoot," Harry said, automatically. "It fits him, doesn't it?"

"Yes," James replied and the dog seemed to wag it's tail rapidly in agreement. "Well I'll leave you two alone, and when I say_ 'leave you two alone'_, I actually mean_ 'I'm going to have to calm your mother down when I tell her there's a dog living in her house'_." There was a spark in his eyes that Harry hadn't seen before. Harry couldn't help but grin wider. James held in his laughter and quietly closed the door behind him.

"Hey there, boy," Harry scratched behind Padfoot's ears how Sirius had always liked. Padfoot seemed to like it too as his tail whapped his knee. "How's it going?" Harry got up from his bed and peered out the window. Not long after, he hard a familiar raspy voice.

"I'd have to say it's going really well, Harry."


	20. Race Against Time

Harry felt his heart struggle to start up again. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. It couldn't be...

"Sirius?" Harry slowly turned around. There, standing in front of him in the flesh, was Sirius Black.

"How've you been, Prongs Jr?" he had a big grin on his face. Sirius looked slightly different than he remembered. His beard had been shaved cleanly and he was wearing clean Wizarding robes. Harry blinked; absorbing the sight, then turned around and tried to look around for anything that looked normal that he could focus onto to stop this episode.

"Not there..." Harry muttered under his breath, closing his eyes tight, feeling his eyes water.

"I don't know whether to be insulted or proud," Sirius said, evenly, and he could feel him walk to his side.

"Shut up, just _shut up!_" Harry plugged his eyes tighter and viciously turned away.

"Insulted it is, then," his voice seemed pained, "Harry, look at me!" He swung him around by his shoulders and Harry looked up at him, startled. "I'm real, I'm here."

"You're - no, you can't..." Harry choked, feeling his throat close and tears release from his eyes. "Go away!"

"Harry you need to quiet down!" he whispered. "Someone will hear you!" The room began to fade slightly, and the two of them were in a dark room with many white pillars masked in the shadows, and a billowing curtain whipping in the non-existent wind. Tormenting whispers issues from the veil, and Harry stopped fighting against Sirius to stare frozen at it, lip quivering. "What is it? Harry, what...?" There was no Sirius in sight, but the weight of his hand on his shoulder let him know.

"The veil... Sirius, you're real!" Harry looked back at him, eyes wide.

"Thank Merlin, I was beginning to doubt myself," he chuckled, but then quieted. "I'm sorry; I don't think I'm one to talk."

"But this can't be - how...?"

"Are you having one of your vision things these barmy old dokors keep calling them?"

"Yes, I see the veil," he muttered, as the voices grew louder.

"Don't you have any techniques? I thought I heard Lily talk about them when I got word you had revived."

"I focus on things - things that are normal in non-magic land."

"Focus on me, then," said Sirius, helpfully, "Unless you still have doubts..."

But Harry wasn't listening; he was already concentrating solely on the pressure on his shoulder. His haze seemed to disperse slowly and the pillars turned to his canopy-styled bead posts, and the veil into his fluttering window curtains. Even Sirius's arm became visible in the corner of his eye, but he refused to look right away. This was too good to be true. All of his life, he had grown used to the good things in life, only to have them taken away. If Sirius didn't understand that it was hard, then nobody could because he went through almost just as much pain as himself.

"Prongslet?" he asked, quietly.

"How - I don't understand...?" Harry slowly looked him in the eye, and replays of that terrible scene in the Department of Mysteries filled his mind.

"Not sure my self, to tell you the truth," he said, calmly and he let himself sit on Harry's bed. Harry had to admit, he'd never seen Sirius looking so alive before. His hair was neat and held back by a ponytail, but Harry could tell that it was recently cut by the ends. He wore a casual, yet stylish outfit that made him look younger than he was, and the torment that used to fill his eyes had completely vanished. Even his chin was free of stubble. "I'm guessing you have a few questions."

"Understatement of the year - no, sorry, _decade_," Harry blew breath out his lips and sat next to Sirius, afraid to believe.

"Well, if it helps any," Sirius grunted and seemed to pat each of his pockets until Harry heard a familiar clanged as he pulled out a shiny golf coin and held it out for him. Harry hesitated, already knowing what it was, but then held out his palm flat and in it dropped a galleon. He could feel it in his hand, the texture, the weight - it was all the same. A simple coin made him doubt everything that has happened to him. The doctors, the medication - all to keep him thinking he was insane.

"Everything... I'm not insane, am I, Sirius?" Harry whispered, in awe.

"Partly, no," Sirius sighed.

"Which means it's partly yes," Harry muttered, his shoulders slumping. 

"You're still getting visions from the other world - our world. That shouldn't be happening. I doubt you could control your magic here. I doubt you even _have_ magic here. I'm sorry, kiddo."

Harry was silent for a few moments, and then asked, "Why are you here?"

"I have my theories, but one can't be too sure."

"What are they?"

"Well... there is one I am holding most of my bets on, and I talked to Arabella Figg, who's a renowned genius with this kind of stuff. Oh, sorry, she's a Muggleborn witch here, which helps a lot with the theories. We've been working together for a few weeks now. Anyway, we think that this is a world almost completely opposite of our own. Whoever resides in this world is the opposite in the other world. Take Arabella herself for example, in the other world she is a squib. From a pureblooded family with no magic at all. This is reversed here, where she is a Muggleborn with extraordinary magical talents. Then there is Lily, she is a Muggleborn witch in ours, but in here, she's an ordinary muggle. Bella also has theories that there are two more worlds that coincide with this one, but we won't delve into that right now. I think that Voldemort, who, by the way, doesn't exist in this world, somehow switched the two of you up. It must have been advanced and extraordinarily dark magic. According to our theory, you are not supposed to be here."

"Well if Voldemort -"

"Voldemort is messing with fate, which can be an extremely detrimental to the Order."

"The Order of the Phoenix is here?" Harry's ears perked up. "Even without Dumble-"

"I'm sorry, I'm forgetting with my old age," Sirius told him, "Bella calls the balance between worlds the Order. Anyway, you're not supposed to be here, which is why we have to get you back to your world pronto. If not, well, I'm afraid about what will happen."

"What _will_ happen, exactly?"

"There will be no hope for the Wizarding world, because if we're right, Harold is in our world. He's inexperienced and without powers, I'm guessing. If Voldemort gets to him, there will be nobody to switch places with."

Harry's breath became rapid. "Sirius, I have to go back!"

"I know that! We need to get to the Department of Mysteries and get you through that veil. It's quite risky, and I've been trying to contact you since I found out you were here. It was a coincidence, mind, I was actually following Lily, but -"

"Go _on_, Sirius!" Harry ushered. "What do we have to do?"

"We need to first get you out of this joint and out of that institution's radar. They'll come looking for you and murder charges were enough for me and I would rather not have kidnapping on my plate as well. Skeeter's going to cause us a problem as well for a while. She's going to have to go through meetings and check ups with this for a few weeks, which will probably call the attention of the authorities. Then, make our way to the Wizarding world; somehow get into the Department of Mysteries. It might prove difficult. Yvonne Polkiss, the Mistress of Magic, is extremely paranoid and has every place of importance under excruciating surveillance. Even then, the outcome might be difficult. We have to make sure you get where you have to be and not into any of the other planes."

Harry looked at him in mock horror, "So you _do_ have a brain after all!"

"I'm not just a pretty face," Sirius let his hand run his hand over his tied back hair with a superior attitude. Harry began snickering, which turned to roaring laughter. Pretty soon there were tears in his eyes as he fell of the bed and coughed.

"Harry, what in Merlin's name...?" Sirius looked confused and scared at the same time. "Should I get help -" Harry laughed louder, "-it wasn't that funny... _Harry!_"

"It's so good to have you back, Sirius," Harry wheezed as his mirth subsided. It turned to horror when the clomping of stairs could be heard and footsteps making their way to his room. Sirius was one step ahead of him and was sitting ramrod straight on his bed in his dog form, staring at the door expectantly. The door squeaked open and the torso of James Potter could be seen.

"What's going on up here?" he asked, quizzically.

"Oh, uh... Sirius was... um.. chasing his tail, and...er..." Harry lied.

"Sirius?" James asked. "I thought you named him Padfoot."

"Oh... Sirius is his nickname."

"Um... alright, then. He doesn't look serious..." James went on with a very confused voice. The dog suddenly coughed as if he was chocking on something, and James stared at him. "Well, if everything is alright..." Harry nodded enthusiastically. "I'll go then. Oh, and your mother expects you down for dinner in ten minutes."

"Okay, thanks Dad," Harry smiled and James brightened as he shut the door behind them. Harry and Sirius remained quiet until they were sure he was gone. Sirius's chocking subsided and as he transformed, said, "Good Ol' James. That was always one of our favorite jokes."

"What?"

"My name and serious the word. Always a classic."

"Oh," Harry said with a lopsided grin.

"There is a little bit of Prongs in him," Sirius sighed happily. "I'll always miss Prongs, but at least I have a part of him back. And Lils. She's a woman that will never change. Just as determined as always."

"When do we suggest going?"

"A week, at least. It's going to be hard and it would be easier if we had some help, but -"

"So why don't we?"

"Why don't we what?"

"Get help!"

"Oh, Harry, I don't know..." he looked worried at the thought."It might be dangerous."

"Let's get Dad to help!" Harry grew excited. "You can get to know each other like the old days! He seems like a nice enough bloke, and -"

"Arabella won't like this..."

"Do you do everything Arabella tells you? Come on, Sirius!"

"We need more time to think about this! We can't have any rash decisions! Besides, he's not likely to take well to being told, at such a perfectly mature age, that magic is real."

"How do you think Muggleborn parents feel?" Harry glared at him, bringing back bad memories of the rash decisions that happened in the past.

"Harry, that's different!"

"No it's not! I'm a wizard!"

"You _were_ a wizard," Sirius sadly muttered.

"But I know so much about it!"

"And _they_ know just as much about psychological things. Harry, they'll think you're mad!"

"They already think I'm mad!" Harry pointed out, exasperated.

"That's what I'm saying! They'll drug you up on medication and we'll never get anywhere!"

"But if we recruit my dad, we could get out of here sooner! The increasing of my medication is just a chance we'll have to take!"

"It sounds as if you already made your decision," he said, sadly.

"I have," Harry said, defiantly.

"It'll be dangerous."

"I know."

"You might get sent back with the dokors."

"Doctors, Sirius, doctors."

"Right, dokors."'

"We'll have to risk it."

"You don't want to get to know your dad a little better first?"

"Sirius, don't go there."

"What? I'm stating a fact!" he sighed. "It hurts me just as much as it does you, and if I were you I'd want this chance."

"We'll bring him with."

"He has nobody to switch with, we won't be able to."

"_You_ did."

"I was a special case. I'll explain later."

"Is risking the lives of _thousands_ of people worth a few days of getting to know them and then having to leave them again better?"

"No, but-"

"That'd be selfish of me!"

"Everyone's entitled to be a little selfish at times, especially you."

"We don't have the _time_, Sirius! If I don't get back before Voldemort has a chance to have a go at the other Harry, I'll never get back and he'll reign forever!"

"You really think that's the best option?"

"_Yes!_"

"Then we will. We'll tell him tonight."


	21. Father, Meet My Dogfather

Harry felt his insides twitching with anticipation. In about an hour, he would be one step closer to freedom. Well, at least a step closer to meeting his (kind-of) real father. Every time he saw his father it brought back a pang of sadness. The real James - Harry's father - seemed so much different in pictures. Harry realized he would never meet his father. The one in this world was a substitute in image, but not in mind. James was more uptight and like a lost puppy. It was hard to picture how he could have ever fallen in love with Rita - or if he ever did.

At dinner, he was perched in between Marcela and James, but Sirius sat under the table between Harry and James. His tail bumped into Harry's leg, but he believed Sirius was reminding him that he was still there with him. It calmed him down some, but it didn't relieve the stress he felt knowing that he would soon tell James.

"We're not keeping him," Rita announced, glaring daggers at James. He didn't seem affected, instead choosing to pat Sirius' head.

"Of course we are," James told her firmly.

"I'm disappointed in you, James!" she hissed. "You did not ask me first! This is my house!"

"If you don't like it, kick me out," he shrugged. "I only came to live here because you wanted us to be a family. I don't think you're treating us like family."

Her lips were white and pressed into a thin line. Harry thought she resembled Umbridge for a moment, but then her face turned into a forcefully perky face.

"Of course, James," she replied, but her knuckles were pale and her hands shook in rage. Harry grinned, but then the sick feeling came back. Was what he going to talk to James about wrong of him to do? Should Sirius and him just run away by themselves? No, his mind stamped that out immediately. James must be told.

"Do you plan on swimming out back later, Harold?" she asked.

"Not really," he replied. "It's a tad chilly out."

"Well it's open whenever you like, just make sure you first ask Marcela or Jeremy to watch you beforehand."

"Sure," he said dully. He twisted his spaghetti dinner in his fork, trying to weave the noodles in his fork. He wasn't all that hungry.

"Harry, you're not eating," Rita pointed out.

"Not hungry."

"Would you like me to have Debby whip something else up for you?"

"No, I would like to be excused," he said.

"In this house you will follow the proper use of etiquette and will finish the meal that is in front of you," she pursed her lips, looking almost at the edge of throwing a fit.

"You can keep telling me what to do, but that doesn't mean I'm going to obey you," Harry retorted. His stomach seemed to be unclenching from the distraction, but at this point he didn't want to give in to Rita. Lily would always be his mother and Rita could never live up to her. If only James knew of his other life, perhaps he would be much more outgoing.

"That's enough, young man! You will eat this food or there will be no breakfast for you in the morning!" she hissed.

"That might be categorized as neglect of a child's natural needs, wouldn't it?" Harry asked. "I might just contact a certain doctor..."

"I've had enough of your behavior! Go to your room immediately! I don't want to see you again tonight!" she growled, her voice rising. "And you will finish your meal in the morning, I will not have you wasting food!"

It sounded fair enough, so he pushed his plate forward, clinking the china against the glasses loudly. Sirius was at his heels as he left the dining room. Rather than going to his room as he was told, he made his way outside on the porch swing overlooking a small pond. Sirius hopped up next to him and put his head on his left with a whine.

"What?" Harry asked, perfectly content.

Sirius gave him a scolding look, which made his canine features look stupid.

"Oh, come off it. I know you would have been worse to her had you been in my position," Harry scratched the dog's ears, listening to the screech of the metal chains make a tune as it swung back and forth on the swing. How exactly was he going to tell James?

'Hey dad, guess what? The dog you gave me is actually my long lost godfather?' Yeah, that would probably make him run away to find the nurses. 'No, I'm not insane. The other me is insane. He's in a different world right now. Perhaps you can help me go back into my world so I can save him from the evil Lord Voldemort who killed you when I was a baby?'

There was no way he could break the news to him without sounding completely barmy. Without proof, he was going to make himself look insane. Not that James didn't think that already, but he was trying to get his help, not have him sedate him. The only proof he had was Sirius. Would James have a heart attack if a dog in front of him suddenly became human in front of him? Would he run for the hills? What was the chance that he would just sit there and not scream?

"Do you have a wand?" Harry questioned. The dog nodded, but kept his head on his leg. I sighed, kicking my legs up to make the swing go higher.

"You can show him then, that's how I'll explain it," Harry muttered, more to himself. Was it really a bad idea? Should he keep quiet and formulate another plan?

But this was his chance to have a father. One he could say anything to. The mere idea of having a heart-to-heart with Uncle Vernon was laughable. Harry wanted to know James. The pond was beautiful, the sun hitting it as it set. The water was completely calm as if it was ice. The sky as well as the water were both a beautiful red and orange color. He could stare at it for hours, but his eyesight wasn't good as it is and he couldn't afford new glasses.

The Victorian-styled door opened slowly and James came out looking tired. He surveyed the yard and glanced at Harry with an unreadable expression, before turning away and staring at the woods.

Harry stopped the swing with his toes and stared at James, but neither said anything to each other for a while. Sirius hopped down and went to James's side, nudging his hand with his nose until James began to pet him.

Just as Harry was opening his mouth, James blurted out, "You should really go a little easier on her, Harry."

There was no reason to ask who he was talking about. Did Harry feel guilty? Not in the slightest. Should he? Probably.

"So should she," Harry replied, taping his toe on the ground to keep the wind from swinging him.

"I just talked to her. She promises to go easier on you if you start going easier on her," he turned towards Harry. His voice was solemn and he looked as though the world's weight was on his shoulders. Much like Harry did when he looked in the mirrors back at Hogwarts.

"We already discussed this, Rita and I," Harry sighed. "And nothing changed. You just don't see how infuriating she is because you're in love with her."

James was silent, and Harry wished he would reply with his feelings. He was curious to know if he really did love her or if it was a one time thing.

"You're mother isn't always the easiest to get along with," he muttered, absentmindedly.

"She isn't my mother," Harry said loudly.

"I suppose you are rather attached to your Aunt Petunia."

"Lily is my mother," he told him. James raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Who?" he asked.

"Lily, the doctor with red hair. She's my mother. Really, she is. And you're my father," Harry said, more confidently.

"Hmm. Well I hope she remembers that night, because I sure don't," he gave a weak chuckle, and Harry mixed up his face. Ew.

"Dad, can I talk to you?"

"You can always talk to me," he said, his voice filled with concern. Sirius had stopped trying to get James's attention and was sitting patiently at his feet, looking at Harry for him to continue.

"Can we go away from the house?" he asked, glancing worriedly at the windows and James agreed and they began walking around the lake with a black dog at their heels. James turned to Harry when they were sure they couldn't be overheard.

"What is bothering you?" James asked, worried.

"Dad, let me tell you something. These pills I'm on – they help me keep away the visions I have. Visions from the other world I am a part of," he told him.

"Oh, son, I really don't know anything of your… sickness. Bad parenting on my part, I'm afraid," James said sadly. "But I was told not to let you give in to your delusions and to call for someone as soon as something happened."

"Please just listen," Harry grumbled. "The pills help me keep the visions at bay most of the time. Only in times of stress do they get through. Dad, do I look stressed to you?"

James looked at Harry nervously, unsure what to say. Harry could tell he was thinking that he needed to be given more pills and go back to the nurses.

"Well? Do I?" Harry asked.

"Not really, no, but if you're seeing things –"

"Dad, just listen," he pleaded. "Don't run away, because if you don't believe me after I prove it to you, then I will gladly go back to the house, take some pills and tell Manuela and Jeremy, okay?"

"It doesn't involve you getting hurt does it? Because I don't want to explain to your mother how-"

"You have to believe me. Here, let me show you something," Harry turned to Sirius and he wagged his tail gleefully. "Sirius, roll over."

The dog fell over and rolled in the dirt a little bit before rolling over. Harry sighed at the dog's antics, and then looked at James's unsurprised face. Harry wanted to start small and work towards the big things, but he hoped James wouldn't lose interest too quickly.

"Sirius, jump," Harry commanded. He turned and jumped a little too dramatically, but James's face remained impassive.

"Harry, what are you trying –"

"Sirius, what's two plus two?" Harry asked, hoping that his godfather wasn't that stupid. He let out four barks, and then James looked impressed.

"You taught him that?" he asked. Harry shook his head mournfully.

"Sirius, sing me a tune," Harry demanded. Sirius began to whine out the tune to Celestina Warbeck's Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love. "Come on, he's not going to know that one." Sirius glared and began to whine out the Happy Birthday tune.

James spluttered. "That was – that was amazing! However did you teach the dog to do that?!"

"Sirius is human," Harry turned to him simply. James's happy face turned worried in a spit second.

"Harry –"

"Sirius, transform into your human form," Harry ignored him and James looked frightfully at the dog. The furry black hair seemed to push itself towards his head into his long black hair and his back arched upright so he was standing.

"Hey, James," Sirius grinned. "Long time no see, eh Prongs?"

James tried to make out a coherent sentence, but all he could come up with was, "What… he… dog…. genetic…?"


	22. Mental Getaway

Harry watched James in anxious curiosity. His words made no sense and he looked as though he were about to fall over unconscious. Sirius, on the other hand was grinning, but not without the pain in his eyes. He knew, along with Harry, that James Potter was not the same person as James Faust was. James could never replace his childhood friend, but it was still comforting for him to see him once again.

Harry couldn't imagine exactly how Sirius was feeling at the moment, but he knew the fact that James was gone was hard on him. Not only that, but he hadn't been locked in Azkaban for twelve years for it.

While Harry was thinking, James seemed to have composed himself – at least only slightly. He began to comb his fingers through his hair and stared at the sunset reflected lake.

"Explain," James told him rapidly. "Now, because I'm thinking those pills are looking mighty tempting right now."

"Well…" Harry hadn't exactly planned what he would say after he actually told James. "You're my father." James only nodded. It was obvious, of course. Harry always bore a strong resemblance to his father. There was no questioning who his father must be. "I'm from an alternate reality along with Sirius here."

"So what you're saying is… magic isn't supposed to exist?" he asked.

"It does, but it works differently. There are two worlds-"

"Actually, Harry-" Sirius cut in, but Harry shushed him because he knew he was going to mention Arabella's other theories of there being more than two.

"Let's keep it simple for now," Harry admonished. Sirius only snorted.

"They are opposite each other and I was pushed into this reality by an evil wizard named Lord Voldemort. He has been trying to kill me since I was a baby. He killed you, in fact, along with your wife – my mother – Lily Evans-Potter. He's found a way to alter the way our worlds coexist. By doing this, he's sent me into this world and into your son's body and thus, since two of the same can not directly be in the same world because of Order, your son-"

"Is in your body… being hunted by this evil Lord Vollymart."

"Er… exactly. There is also this prophecy saying that I am the only one who can defeat this man. Harold – your son – can defend himself because he has my magic, but he is just an ordinary wizard. He can't defeat him. Only I can, and this is why I must go back because otherwise your son will die and I will not be able to leave this world ever again, or my friends, peers and the entire Wizarding World will be under Lord Voldemort's control."

"How do we get you back?" James asked in a small voice.

"I came through a portal," Sirius spoke up. "If we can get Harry through it, perhaps he can get Harold through the portal and restore his powers."

"What if Harold comes back with my powers?"

"The Wizarding World is doomed," Sirius replied, calmly.

"Great," Harry sighed. "Any other ideas?"

"Um… kill him?" Sirius asked.

"NO!" James snapped. "You won't be killing anyone!"

"Relax, Prongs, I was only kidding," he shrugged and picked at his fingernails which were filthy from running around on his dog-form's paws. Harry sighed and sat down next to James.

"Will you help me get back?" Harry asked, looking James in the eye, with a solemn face.

"What do I have to do?" James asked, suddenly looking confident.

"We need to get to London," he replied. "Do you have a car?"

"We can't, you're under high security and house arrest, there is no possible way," James said. "Everything that has to do with you is under your mother's control. It would be against the law to let you off of these grounds until you have written consent from one of your doctors!"

"How long does that take?"

"A few weeks, possibly-"

"A few weeks?! We don't have a few weeks! Your son's life is at stake!" Harry shot at him. "We have to get there _now_!"

"It just can't be done!" James defended.

"Then break the bloody rules and drive me out of here!" Harry argued.

"Now you are just being unreasonable. How about we talk about this later? Maybe there is something that I can do to speed up the process. I'll talk to Rita-"

"No!"

"Harry-"

"Don't you care about your son at all?!" Harry yelled. Sirius looked startled, but James only got as angry as Harry was.

"Of course I do, but we can't-"

"Fine," Harry seethed, and turned away. "Fine. We'll do it your way. We'll let your son get closer and closer to Voldemort and maybe he'll decide that he really is quite a decent chap and will sit down and have tea with him!"

"That's enough!" Sirius interrupted, "James, Harry is right. We need to get to the other world right away, lives are at stake, and Harry – James is right. You are being unreasonable. Stop acting like a child!"

"Whatever," Harry grumbled and stalked away in the opposite direction. "I'm going to my room. You guys can think of something on your own then. If I don't get back to my world and regain my powers, I'm personally blaming you."

"Harry!" James called after him, pleading, "Wait! Harry!"

But He had either gone out of earshot or was just ignoring him. He slammed the door shut behind him when he went into the house and Sirius turned and looked at James apologetically.

"He gets like this sometimes, don't worry. If you would have seen as many people die like Harry has, you'll come to understand the importance of the situation. Give him time, he'll cool off."

"Didn't you both say that you didn't have time?" James asked, pathetically.

"We don't, but we have to keep him focused. Harry and Harold are so closely connected that Harry is affected by your son's illness. So much stress could set him in a state that we could not reach him and all would be lost."

"But he's angry, wouldn't that –"

"He's more angry at you, sorry. Seeing you might set him off again. We should come up with a plan while he's up there. Is there anything you could do to get the paperwork faster?"

"I was only saying that to try to make him settle down so I could think. We have to make so many arrangements before anything could even be considered-" James went on.

"What's your plan B, then?" Sirius asked.

"I was hoping you would have one…" James sighed, "Do you think Harry would try something?"

"No, he's not that stupid."

---

'This is stupid,' thought Harry, 'I'm the only one who can defeat Voldemort. Are they expecting Harold to do it? That kid is bloody insane! Well, I am, but that is beside the point. He's not going to be able to hold him off long enough to protect people.

'Of all the people, I figured Sirius to side with me! He knows what is at stake and he's willing to just take it easy? And James – he doesn't care because it doesn't affect him! Am I the only one who cares about anything?!'

Harry threw his shoe at the door and it fell with a thump. It was quiet enough, so he didn't have to worry about being bothered by Buggy and her two friends. He felt like trashing his entire overly-blue room, but by the looks of things he was going to be living in it for the rest of his life.

Well, if they weren't going to do anything, he wasn't going to stand around like a good little boy. The Hermione here was definitely not his Hermione; Ron wasn't his Ron, even Ginny. Nothing could ever bring them together here. This wasn't the world he was meant to live in. He had to get out of here.

Harry snatched a backpack that looked like it was meant for a twelve-year-old, but he stuffed some of the necessities inside. After all, London was pretty far away and he didn't know how long it was going to take. Searching around the room, he couldn't see anything else of use to him, so he slung his backpack over his shoulder and opened one of his windows.

A trellis would have been appreciated, but unfortunately, there was nothing. He was on the second floor, so it would be a long drop. But there was about a six inch ledge going around, so he put his other hand through the backpack and stepped out, holding on to the slanted roof for support and began sliding around the house.

He passes his mother's room, and he was thankful that she was engrossed in the mirror and combing her hair that she did not see him just outside her window. He shivered; it was getting dark and wasn't getting any warmer. There was nothing he could jump onto to break his fall, so he kept going, passing Jeremy's tiny room – which was dark and vacant. He moved a little further and passed a window with closed curtains, and he found the corner that he had trouble getting around.

As he moved on the other side of the house, he found some bushes a ways down. He took off his backpack one-handed and flung it by the bushes so he didn't have to carry it anymore. It rolled underneath, though, concealed from sight.

Harry scuttled passed another window, one from the same room, but the curtains were once again closed. It was Marcela's room. He moved further and there was another window ahead, a few feet short of the bushes.

This one wasn't curtained, however, and peered in. Marcela was reading on her stomach on the floor, he moved further, feeling safe. But then he saw someone else, who must have been in the corner because Harry didn't see them before. It was Jeremy and he went to sit next to her. When he sat, he put his arm around her and she smiled.

"I'm going to head to bed," Jeremy gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Oh, no you don't," Marcela grinned devilishly and pulled his head closer and ran her hands through his hair. Then she got closer –

"Great Merlin!" Harry whispered, but in that state of shock, he lost his balance and fell backwards, falling to the ground about fifteen feet below.

He hit the ground and felt his arm shoot with pain and the last thing he heard was…

"Oh my! Did you hear that, Jere?"


	23. Deadly Assumptions

"…no, he was perfectly happy at my house!" A snappish voice was muffled through his foggy brain.

"He jumped off the roof; I think something must have been wrong!" Another voice joined in.

"…such progress he was having…"

"…get rid of anything sharp that could hurt him, he's coming around."

Harry's eyes fluttered open for only a second because of the bright lights above his head. Why did his head hurt so much? Did he get hit by a bus? What happened?

"Baby, baby, can you hear me?" A voice yowled.

"Don't call me baby," Harry growled. "Get away, you smell like cheap perfume."

"Harry, don't be like that," Rita reprimanded.

"Do you know where you are, Mr. Potter?" Harry struggled to open his eyes, and he saw the outline of a shorter woman with red hair. "Mum?"

"We'll have to move him back to his old ward," the woman's voice was now dull and disappointed. "Didn't you watch for signs, Miss Skeeter?"

"He was perfectly fine!"

"Harry, open your eyes," she said.

He struggled to do as he was told, but his head stung behind his eyeballs. When he finally did open them again, he found the grey tiled ceiling and barred windows. He looked down until he found the speaker of the soothing voice - Dr. Porter.

"Do you know where you are?" she repeated.

"Prison," Harry's eyes trailed to the bars again, but then he remembered seeing them back at the hospital. Why didn't he listen to his senses before? The room smelled the same, well, almost, it also smelled of antiseptic. "I'm back at Hogwarts, right?"

"Very good, Harry, now which Hogwarts do you see?"

"The smelly one," he smirked, "The hospital."

"Excellent, that's really great," Lily's eyes lit up. "Everything isn't lost, after all!" But then she sent an accusatory glare at Rita who was sitting on a chair in the corner, picking at her ruby red nails.

"Do you remember what happened?" she asked, her hand weighing heavily on his arm as if he were going to jump up into a frenzy at any moment.

"Um…" He didn't. He tried thinking back… he remembered the trial… going to Rita's…. dinner…. "I… I don't…"

"How are you feeling now, Harry?" Lily asked.

"Like crap, thanks."

"How about emotionally? Are you angry? Scared? _Depressed_?" she questioned further. He felt like he was back on the stand in the courtroom.

"No more depressed than usual. Fine, I guess, why?"

"You… Harry, you jumped off the roof," Lily sighed, a new look in her eye. Disappointment? No… fear…?

"I didn't jump off any roof," Harry snapped. He knew he would never do anything like that. Right? He felt like there was something else he was doing… something important. What could it be?

"Then explain what you were doing on the ground, with the injuries of a jumper?"

"Um. I fell?"

"What were you doing on the roof, then?" Rita spoke up.

"How should I know?" Harry grumbled. He had a headache; couldn't they just leave him alone? He hadn't realized how much his arm stung until now, did he really fall? Did he jump? No, impossible.

"You were there!" Rita snapped.

"Miss Skeeter, if you can't keep quiet, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You're disturbing my patient."

"I don't remember," Harry said. "My arm hurts."

"Your shoulder was dislocated, thank goodness that was all that it was. Well, you hit your head, but there shouldn't be any lasting injuries. We're going to put you on some anti-depressants that can work with your other medication."

"I'm not depressed," he assured her. "I'm fine."

"Until you can tell me what happened, I'm going to have to assume that you tried to kill yourself," the doctor sighed.

"I didn't. I had something important to do," He told her.

"What was so important?" she asked.

"I – don't – know!" Harry snapped. "But I'm not insane anymore. I'm not depressed! I'm not! I'm not _anything_!"

"Calm down, you know what happens when you get overexcited!" Lily reminded him, pushing harder on his shoulder. He was thankful it wasn't his bad shoulder, yet the strain was pulling on his other shoulder and he felt it sting.

"I'm over that now, stop that. Really, I'm fine. A few bumps and bruises, but otherwise – fine. I know that magic isn't real, okay?"

"Do you think this could have been prevented in any way? Could Rita have kept a closer eye on you?"

"She doesn't watch me, the nurses do," Harry remembered the two nurses, meeting outside the admittedly pretty house. "I think I was talking to my dad when it happened. I don't know, everything is so fuzzy. Something having to do with James…"

"Did he say something that might have upset you?" Lily asked.

"Um…" Harry racked his brain, but he knew the answer. Yes, he had upset him, but he knew what conclusions they would come up with. What he didn't know was _why_ he would be upset with him. Did it have to do with the increasing anxiety that he was supposed to be doing something else at the moment? "No. I don't think so."

"But James was there when this all happened?" Lily said.

"Yes… no. No, he wasn't there… he was… I left him. We were talking and then I went to my room. Maybe I was sleepwalking? I really don't know."

"Do you know what you were talking about?"

"No… well, wait… Rita… I was talking back to her at dinner and James – dad – was trying to come to an agreement to try to get along. That's all I remember. Can I go back to sleep, now? I've got a headache."

"No, you've got an appointment with Dr. Lupin, and if you still don't feel better, we'll take you back to your room. But I think Hermione would appreciate a visit from you again."

"Am I going to stay here, now?" Harry asked, indifferent.

"Yes. You don't have to go back to your mother's," Harry felt like he should be happy with this piece of information, but something nagged at him. This wasn't a good thing, for some reason.

"Well, Lupin is waiting for you, Harry. Shall we?" Harry got to his feet and watched as two guards came and stood on each side of him. Boy, this wasn't something he missed.

----

"I _told_ you! I didn't try to kill myself!" Harry vehemently insisted after he retold what he knew for the fourth time, and, of course, Remus was trying to come to his own conclusions, which weren't making Harry feel any better.

"Okay, I believe you, but something caused you to go on that roof. Now try to remember, Harry, what happened when you went to your room?" At the question, Harry huffed, annoyed. The colorful drawings on the wall seemed to be admonishing him for his gloomy attitude. The pictures of what seemed to be cured patients stared him down, and he felt like he was being punished. It was not helping his headache at all, and he was getting quite hungry as well.

"I went to sleep."

"Did you?"

"Yes," Harry insisted.

"Did you dream at all?" Remus's voice was soothing. He made Harry angry because he felt like now was not the time to be calm, but he held that piece of information from the doctor because he didn't want to be questioned much longer.

"I don't know. Maybe," he was bitter.

"Think."

Harry tried. Usually he was able to recall his dreams better since he woke up from his 'fantasy world,' but now it was much harder to do. His mind was racing with something else. It felt like he was back in the Ministry of Magic and the doors were revolving around and inside one of the doors there was a wind of activity, but there was no key to open it. "I was…" Images slipped under the door like private notes. James, talking… and Snuffles was there… "My dog… James was talking to my dog. I think the dog turned into my godfather."

"This is strange. Should we try to interpret its meaning?"

"Can we do this some other time? Maybe if I sleep on it, everything will come back to me."

"Fine, I'll set up another meeting on my schedule. Mr. Goyle, could you please escort Harry back to his room?" he asked the bulky man who guarded the door, and the man nodded, ushering Harry to come with him.

When they were in the hall, Harry stopped him. The guard's fingers twitched for his stun gun, but Harry shook his head. How he wanted to hate this man, yet he knew that this wasn't a death eater. "Could I go to the cafeteria?"

"I suppose it couldn't hurt," he grudgingly said. He led Harry loosely by the arm, mindful of his injuries and they came to the cafeteria doors. As soon as he came in, he found the table that he sat at last time, with Neville and Hermione, as well as a few other recognizable faces of some first years that he remembered seeing sorted at the beginning of his fifth year. He quickly went through the line and grabbed some real food before sitting down.

"Hello, Hermione," Harry winced, as she ripped open one of her ketchup packets.

"Hi," she muttered, devoid of her happy nature. She didn't seem as thrilled to see him as he last saw her. It was like she was embarrassed, or scared.

"What's wrong?" He questioned.

"They found me," she whispered, like a story teller.

"Who?"

"I tried to escape, but… I was caught. They took me back to that room, Harry. You know how I hate that room," tears had started to drip down her face.

"Which room?"

"How can you not remember? Have you forgotten me while you were locked away?" she was miserable, holding herself in a shaky manner. "The torture room."

"No, I remember, I just thought that you hated everything about this place," Harry lied. What else was he going to say? She nodded in understanding. "Did they hurt you?" Alarms went off in his head.

"Of course they did, it's the torture room," she mumbled. Now that Harry had a good look at her, there were bruises on her left arm. "They threw me at the window. I think they were trying to throw me out of it."

"They wouldn't do that," Harry assured her.

"Why not? They live to make my life wretched."

"Because… because you're too important," he quickly said. She gave him a weak smile, which disappeared as soon as it came.

"You're too noble, my prince," she whispered, "I'm beginning to think we're never going to get out of here. My parents haven't sent anyone else to my aid and you're all I have. I don't even get to see you most of the time."

"Don't worry, you'll get out of here soon enough."

Her face shot up in surprise, almost anger. Harry flinched, cautious. Had he said something wrong? Nobody at the table seemed to be paying attention.

"You never say, 'you,' Harry, it's always 'we!'" her voice was dark.

"I'm sorry; we'll get out of here –"

"You're not my prince," she snapped. "Imposter. IMPOSTER!" Harry jumped in his seat, surprised at the volume of her voice. Harry's headache still hadn't gone away and he truthfully had missed Hermione, any form of her. He wasn't ready to leave her, so he quickly made up something.

"Hermione, shh! You'll alert the guards!" Harry spluttered. Thankfully, she quieted down, but her malicious face did not disappear. "The reason I said 'you' is because… because… um… you're freedom is more important than my own… and…. I was planning on… er…. Sacrificing myself for your freedom."

"Oh," her structure became much slacker. "Harry, you know that's not what I want at all. That's not the future I want. I want us to be together… to rule my country. There would be no better king to suit my kingdom than you."

They ate in silence. She was thinking hard, like he had always seen her in the library. It was comforting for him to see this. At least there was a glimpse of his Hermione in there. He admired how she always would chew on her quill when something troubled her. He wished that none of this had happened. That he had never woken up from his fantasy world… that….

Wait.

His fantasy world. As soon as he thought it, something seemed to have caused the door to open a crack. Something wasn't right. The feeling that he was forgetting something important was coming back full force.

Okay, he was outside… James was there, and his dog… and the dog… the dog transformed! Sirius! He's alive! And James…

Everything came back to him, the plan, the argument, and the fact that he needed to get out of this world. Hermione – everyone – existed in the other world. He was on a mission. It wasn't a dream he had, it was real. He had a prophecy to fulfill. He had to kill Voldemort. He had to get out of here…!

Hermione hadn't noticed the fact that he was practically jumping in his seat. She had grabbed some of his potatoes in his musings and seemed to be slowly giving up on her conquest to avoid 'poisoned' food.

Where were James and Sirius now? Were they making plans? How long was he here, anyway? Did they have everything set up? He suddenly understood why being back here was worse than back at Rita's – it had heightened security. There was no way he was going to get out of here.

Maybe he could contact them? He had no doubt that they were using his current state against them so that they could find a way to allow him to leave the house, and – wait. That wouldn't be possible now; they think he tried to kill himself. There was no way they were going to get permission for that. He was stuck. He was going to have to break out of this place if he had any hope of getting out of here.

He shouldn't have overreacted like he did. Maybe then he would be back at Rita's, formulating a plot with them and maybe sneak out together. Couldn't he have just gone downstairs and walked through the door? No. Debby was cleaning, not to mention the fact that Rita had high security on the doors.

"Mr. Potter, it's time to go back to your room," Goyle told him. Harry looked up, surprised.

"What?"

"Lunch is over," he told him, calmly. Harry looked around – the whole place was vacant. When had everyone left? He hadn't noticed. He wasn't hungry anymore, but he didn't have a choice anyway, Hermione had eaten everything on his tray.

"Oh, okay," he mumbled.

"Is everything okay, son?" Goyle questioned.

"Yeah, zoned out."

"Do you need to see Dr. Weasley?"

"No, I'm fine, really. Just thinking. I'm just really tired."

---

Harry was stuck in his room for days. Well, not really. He was allowed many freedoms, but he didn't use them. He was too preoccupied with trying to think of different ways he could get out. He hadn't had any word from Sirius and James at all.

Harry mostly refused to talk during his sessions with Lupin, which only strengthened his belief that Harry was more depressed than he was letting on. He hadn't had the chance to see Dr. Weasley either. Apparently he was working with a new patient that took up most of his time.

That day, however, he was supposed to go to the visiting room at three o'clock. He was becoming impatient because he had been sitting in the visiting area for about twenty minutes now. Who knew if it was James and Sirius? Maybe they set up the appointment? He hoped so, he was driving himself crazy. Again. Did complications arise? Did someone find them out?

"…is there anything potentially harmful on your persons? Pins, scissors, pocket knives, anything? They're not allowed to go in with you."

"I don't have any," the person said. It didn't sound like it was his dad, and he was quickly disappointed. He only wished it wasn't Rita, he didn't want to be near her anymore.

"Try not to upset him, dear," It was Lily saying this, he recognized her voice. "He's under a lot of stress. Don't feel bad if he doesn't talk to you either, he hasn't been speaking to anyone."

"He'll talk to me. I'll make him."

It was Ginny. Only she had that tone when she was confident – or stubborn. He was right, as soon as the door opened; he saw her slightly freckled face poke in. Harry was happy to see her; it was just that he was disappointed that it wasn't who he was expecting.

"Harry," she sighed, as soon as the door clicked behind her. She came closer with her arms folded across her chest. She had gotten a haircut, it was short now. Really short, it only went passed her ears. There were still some fuchsia coloring at the tips, but –

SLAP.

Harry felt her hand fly across his cheek. Well, he wasn't expecting _that_ to happen.


End file.
